Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse -

Student Handbook

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

LMS school hours:

3-6 Classroom 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. (pick up time 2:45-3:00)
6-9 Classroom 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. (pick up time 2:45-3:00)
9-12 Classroom 8:15 to 2:45 p.m. (pick up time 2:45-3:00)

Please be patient. The time it takes to pick up your children in the afternoon will continue to improve after the first few weeks of school as the schedule becomes routine.

Arrival time can begin as early as 8:15. NO supervision will be available before 8:15 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m. so please have all students picked up no later than 3:00 p.m. After school child care options are available, for a fee, however arrangements must be made in advance.

Please have students arrive no later than 8:30 a.m. Students that are in the gate between 8:30 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. will still be considered on time however following the time guidelines above will help your child's morning proceed smoothly. The gate WILL BE LOCKED at 8:40 a.m. even if there are cars still in the line, so please arrive with sufficient time to be complete the drop-off process before 8:40 a.m. After the gate is locked you MUST SIGN YOUR CHILD IN at the front desk.

If your child arrives after 9:30 a.m. please make sure to bring a lunch as the lunch count is called in by 9:30 a.m. Dismissal will be at the times noted above. An adult will bring each student to the appropriate car. Please contact our front office BEFORE 2:00 p.m. if you wish to change the dismissal pickup arrangement for your child. Messages will be checked at 2:00 to make sure that the information is correct.

Many of you already know that accidents cause more tragedies than illnesses and crime combined. These are due to human error or lack of attention and in most cases could have been easily prevented. The students' safety while at school is critical. Compliance to the serious nature of safety issues during the busy arrival and departure times is mandatory. ALL drivers and passengers must remain in their vehicles during this short but critical time. If you need to come inside, please plan a time after 8:40 and prior to 2:45.

We respectfully require that you do not walk your child to the classroom during arrival time or pick them up from the classroom at the end of the day. Too many unscheduled adults in the building at those times create unnecessary difficulties for the teachers who are either trying to establish morning routines with the students or organizing the class for a prompt dismissal.

When you do enter the classroom, please do not engage teachers in impromptu conferences. The teachers’ first responsibility is to create and maintain an orderly environment, which requires supervision of all the students during class time. We encourage prescheduled classroom observations and parent/teacher conferences after the first few weeks of school.

Please do not pick up your child before the dismissal time of 2:45 p.m. Picking students up early should be reserved for emergency situations. Doctor, dentist and other appointments should be scheduled outside of school hours. We will only dismiss a student to the parents or people who are indicated on the release list unless we receive specific permission.

ABSENCES AND TARDINESS

If a student does not enter the gate before 8:40 a.m., THE PARENT MUST SIGN IN at the front desk. It is also very important to send in a written note excusing any absences.

Too many late arrivals or absences will require a conference with the Executive Director and the implementation of a plan of action to correct the situation. A habit of late arrivals and absences could result in the student being asked to return to the appropriate district school.

LMS is responsible to see that students arrive on time and that absences are kept to a minimum. Florida’s mandatory attendance laws require this. Our goal is to meet 90% attendance. Please assist our efforts by making sure your child arrives on time, that you sign your child in, and that you send in a written note to excuse any absence.

BUSSING/TRANSPORTATION

Students in grades K-6 who live more than 2 miles from the school have access to the established bussing system of McKeel Elementary which operates throughout Lakeland. Families may choose to use any of the pick up/drop off locations on the established routes. For more information on exact pick up and drop off locations & times please contact our front office.

The school bus will not transport items other than students’ folders, books and lunch. This is for the students’ safety and space. The driver will have a very strict schedule so students can arrive timely and as scheduled. Please call the school to discuss any bussing issues, as the driver is not permitted to have discussions at the bus stop. Our office is your transportation representative. Issues are to be addressed to the Director who will seek assistance from the transportation expert should the issue not be resolved.

BEFORE & AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Suzuki violin (ages 3 and up): Mrs. Janet Satterfield, a member of the Imperial Symphony Orchestra, provides violin lessons here at the school on Tuesdays after school. For more information and costs, please contact Mrs. Satterfield at 686-5140.

We currently have several programs that pick up children for daily before and after school programs:

Option 1: Xtreme Kids Before and Afterschool Program (for all ages Prek3-Grade 6), Gold's Gym, 3195 U.S. Hwy 98N. Transportation is provided to and from our school to the program. The before school program opens at 7:00 a.m. and the after school program is open until 6:00 p.m. Fun fitness activities are incorporated into each group's daily schedule. Please contact Beth, Sara, or Melissa at 683-9800 for more information and enrollment paperwork.

Option 2: McKeel Elementary After-School Program (for grades K & up). Bus transportation is provided to McKeel Elementary which is less than a mile away from our school. The program runs until 6:00 p.m. and provides homework assistance, an after-school snack, and various activities for the children. Please contact Lori Burden at McKeel Academy, 499-2820, for more information and enrollment paperwork.

Option 3: Grand Master Choe's Martial Arts After School Program (for grades K & up), 2136 E. Edgewood Drive, Lakeland, www.masterchoe.com. Transportation is provided to the program. To sign up please call 665-0488.

Other Options: We also have several other after-school programs that pick up children at our school, for more information please contact us so that we can explore which program would be the best fit for your family.

FOOD POLICY & LUNCH/SNACK PROGRAM

FOOD POLICY

Our program incorporates practical life exercises that include training in a healthy lifestyle and diet. To support this aspect of your child’s education, and to ensure that all of our students eat nutritiously and healthfully during their school day, we ask that you abide by certain guidelines for snacks and other foods that are brought to school.

In a place where learning is the overriding goal, we want to make every effort to keep sugar to an absolute minimum, and we hope you’ll help us whenever you send food to school. Please observe our rule that:

Soft drinks, gum, and candy are not allowed.

LUNCH PROGRAM

Option 1: Polk County School Lunch Program
Lunches will be provided by the Lime Street Elementary cafeteria through the Polk County School Board. Lunches on Monday - Thursday are bagged lunches similar to what would be brought from home; a sandwich, a fruit or vegetable item, a snack, milk and juice. Fridays are Pizza.

Times for lunch
3-6 Classroom 11:30
6-9 Classroom 12:30
9-12 Classroom 12:00

Cost
Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse participates in the National School Lunch Program for grades K-6 and each family will be provided with the proper form to determine eligibility for free or reduced lunch.

Regular price for K-6: $1.70
Regular price for PreK: $2.50
Reduced price for K-6: $.40

Polk County School Board Lunch Payment Guidelines
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH. You will need to prepay into your child’s account via check or money order ONLY - made payable to Lime Street Elementary.Students in grades K-6 on regular priced lunch will receive charge priveleges of up to $7.00. Students in K-6 on reduced priced lunch will receive charge privileges of up to $3.00. Slips will be sent home if your child's lunch account is empty. Students that go over their charge privilege will receive a cheese sandwich until money is received. PreK students do not receive charge privileges. Any checks returned due to insufficient funds will be assessed a fee of $4.00. In the event of a check is returned, Lime Street will require money orders for all future payments.

Option 2: Pack your child’s lunch
Children are welcome and encouraged to bring their own lunches from home. If you prefer to pack a lunch, please select healthy foods with proteins and complex carbohydrates. In addition to prohibiting soft drinks, gum, and candy, we discourage the use of many prepackaged lunches like “Lunchables” because they lack the necessary nutrition and fiber necessary to maintain good health.

SNACK PROGRAM

Families are asked to participate in a rotating schedule for bringing healthy classroom snacks. We request that each student in the 3-6 and 6-9 classes provide snack for their class once every 4-6 weeks (no more than one day per month). We request that each student in the 9-12 class bring snack approximately once per month. The snack must be pre-packaged and unopened. Bringing snack is not a requirement, however it greatly benefits the classroom community as students are provided with healthy nutrition during the morning work period - which aids in the success of their morning. Snack time also provides an opportunity for the students to contribute to their community and to share in practical life activities.

Snack quantities
3-6 classroom: 36 students
6-9 classroom: 36 students
9-12 classroom: 23 students

Snack fee alternative
Those in the 3-6 or 6-9 class who would prefer to have the teacher shop for their snack day may choose to pay a fee of $15.00 for the teacher to bring the snack. Those in the 9-12 class may choose to pay a fee of $10.00. Please pay by check made out to your classroom teacher and write “snacks” with the date you have been scheduled for. We ask that you pay at least a week before your assigned date as the teacher must schedule time to obtain the snack ahead of time.

Please follow these healthy snack guidelines when bringing snack for your child's class:

REQUIRED:
A store packaged pre-cut FRESH (not canned or dried) fruit or vegetable snack. Whole fruit may be sent as long as long as there is enough for each child to have their own whole piece of fruit.
OPTIONAL:
In addition to the fresh fruit or vegetable item please consider providing a protein and/or whole grain item to complement the fresh fruit/vegetable. If the item is made with whole grains, at least one of the ingredients will have the word "whole" next to the type of grain and the majority of the time the package will state that it is made with whole grains. ALL optional itmes must have 3 grams or less of sugar per serving.
ALL FOOD MUST BE STORE PACKAGED. Items that do not meet the guidelines above will not be returned.

The following lists are by no means comprehensive; they are provided to give you an idea of the types of foods that we recommend.

GOOD CHOICE EXAMPLES FOR REQUIRED ITEMS:
Apple Slices
Apples
Bananas
Green beans
Carrots
Celery sticks
Peaches
Pears
Strawberries
Peppers: green, red, yellow, orange
Plums
Tomatoes: grape or cherry (6-9 and 9-12 class only)
Grapes (6-9 and 9-12 class only)

GOOD CHOICE EXAMPLES FOR OPTIONAL ITEMS:
Cheese cubes
Cheese sticks
Wheat Thins
Whole wheat bagels with cream cheese
Multi-grain Ritz crackers
Vegetable Dip
Triscuits
Turkey Slices
NO NUTS

Peanuts & other nuts: VERY IMPORTANT

Because some children have potentially dangerous allergies to peanuts and other nuts, do not bring any foods for snack containing peanuts or peanut byproducts (such as peanut oil), or foods that may contain peanuts or any other types of nuts. Labels on processed foods are generally very explicit about the inclusion of peanuts and nuts.

FIELD TRIPS

Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse's community outreach and extended classroom activities include various field trips for educational, cultural, physical and humanitarian experiences. The following are an example of the places we may visit during the school year:

Polk County
County Public Libraries, Museums and Parks
Recreational facilities of Polk County and its cities
Community services facilities of Polk County and its cities
Phosphate mine
Lakeland Center
Bok Tower Gardens
Time Warner
Polk County district schools and colleges
Explorations 5
Cypress Gardens
Fantasy of Flight
Restaurants for etiquette demonstrations
Publix supermarket and warehouses
Convalescent homes
Humane Society

Outside Polk County
Green Meadows Farm
Thornhill Farms
Lowry Park Zoo
Florida Aquarium
Seminole Indian properties
Walt Disney World
MOSI museum
Strawberry field
Sea World
Busch Gardens

Some of the trips may require fees. Good manners, exceptional behavior and full compliance with our uniform code are mandatory for field trips. Each student represents our school. Exceptional behavior is expected on the bus and at our destination.

Some trips are invitational or limited by our host to students and teachers only. Other trips may include opportunities for parents (approved volunteers) to accompany us.

CELEBRATIONS/EVENTS/BIRTHDAYS

Families will receive email flyers concerning upcoming events and celebrations at the school as we will need parent participation for planning and implementation. As we are a small community and we will be teaching and modeling acceptance and respect of diversity, school celebrations and events will be planned so that they can include and be participated in by people regardless of their religious, cultural and/or ethnic backgrounds. LMS school policy is based on the First Amendment Center document "Religious Holidays in the Public Schools" located at http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/PDF/FCGchapter10.PDF . Celebrations and events such as the LMS annual Friendship Feast, the LMS Art shows, the LMS Family Tea, First Friday chorus events, Explorations V Children's Festival, Mayfaire by the Lake, International Children’s Day, Earth Day, Multi-Cultural Festivals such as a festival with Chinese cuisine, art, costume, etc. will be planned throughout the year by the PAC Special Events Committee.

In recognition of the day a child is born, we gather at group time and tell the child's life story as they hold a globe and “orbit the sun” provided that we receive the Milestones Form (available on the school Yahoo group in the Files section) with your child's information. You are welcome to join us for this activity. We are unable to accommodate birthday party type activities during classroom time.

Party Invitations-If you wish to invite children to a party, please use the Classroom Database section of the Yahoo email group to obtain names and addresses of the students in order to send the invitations by mail delivery.

CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

Parents are encouraged to observe their child at work. Observations will begin in October. If you would like to observe a class, please notify the office in advance.

PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION

Students bring their weekly work home once a week. There may be a note from the teacher if there is incomplete work to be completed.

Teachers report formally to parents four times per year in October, December, March, and May. The October reports will be distributed at parent conferences. Additional parent-teacher conferences may be scheduled at any time at the request of either teacher or parent.

October reports provide an opportunity to set goals for the remainder of the semester as well as to discuss academic, social, or emotional concerns that need to be addressed. The evaluations at the end of the semester in December and May are also comprehensive reporting periods and are a record of the student’s progress through the three-year cycle of our Montessori curriculum.

STANDARDIZED TESTING - FCAT, SAT10, and DIBELS

Lakeland Montessori 2008 FCAT Scores
For those interested in reviewing our excellent FCAT scores please click on this link.

LMS has taken the steps to make sure our students are prepared for the required standardized testing, which tests students on their annual progress. DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is administered to all students in grades K-3 three times per year. DIBELS indicates whether the student is on level for Reading skills. The SAT10 is administered to all students in grades 1 & 2 during the State of FL DOE (Department of Education) testing window each Spring. The SAT10 is an indicator of Math & Reading levels. The various FCAT tests are also administered to students in grades 3 through 6 during the State of FL DOE testing windows. FCAT Writing+ is administered to students in fourth grade in February. The FCAT Reading and Math tests are administered to all students in grades 3 through 6 and FCAT Science is administered to fifth graders. In order for our school to remain open, all students must take the FCAT and other state required assessment tests. An entire preparation program has been purchased from Montessori Made Manageable which covers all of the necessary FCAT preparation items, Sunshine State Standards, and Grade Level Expectations as part of our daily routine - to ensure that FCAT preparation is not a last minute stressful experience. Each child in grades 3 through 6 will also be provided with an FCAT Explorer classroom password and will have opportunites to complete FCAT Explorer in class in addition to the home online accessibility.

In addition to enriched academic advancement, it is important to remember that character education, community service, self-esteem, leadership training, time management, and organizational skills are essential life-long skills that are part of our program.

LIBRARY

Though LMS is already accumulating a great collection of literature, the countywide public library system also provides a wonderful resource for students. Library cards are FREE to students in our county and can be used at all the public libraries regardless of your address. The Lakeland library branches are open most nights of the week and on Saturday.

Reading will take place at the school during all subjects and students will be evaluated for growth and comprehension often. LMS has also purchased the A.R. (Accelerated Reader) program with home website access for all students in grade 1-6. A.R. is used as a comprehension tool and the "points" and rewards will not be used as part of our instructional process. All students in grade K-3 are evaluated using the State of FL approved DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment and will receive parent reports after each assessment. We encourage you to participate in the family events that your library holds. They are free. A weekly family library night or Saturday to get books together creates a lasting memory while providing free educational opportunities. Lakeland has free internet access so you can also research class topics together!

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT / VOLUNTEERING

Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse believes that the school's partnership with families is a key to student success and to the success of the overall program and will help determine to what degree performance standards will be attained. Active family participation is strongly encouraged. Enrollment is a parent/student cooperative choice, wherein parents/guardians contractually agree to be responsible for their child’s abiding by the rules and regulations applicable to attendance, classroom participation, and behavior. In order to be automatically reenrolled for the next school year, parents will be required to fulfill the terms of a contract requiring a minimum of 20 hours of volunteer service per year to the School, indicating the manner in which they will become involved in their children’s education and the school’s operations—such as school volunteers, mentoring programs, skills training, special events, and extra-curricular activities. This requirement is per family and can include grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc.

Family involvement in school matters will be possible at many levels. Parent volunteers will participate in the daily life of the School and on various committees. We also look forward to having many parents with ties to the business community, and invite parents to contribute their knowledge to our educational program.

All parents are automatically members of the Parent Action Committee (PAC) upon admission to the school. The PAC sponsors regular meetings, the third Thursday of each month from August - May at 6:30 p.m. at the school site.

There are three types of volunteers:

1. At school when the students are present - This type requires approval by the Polk County School District which includes a background check. Since the initial process is not done by us, it can be lengthy. Please visit our front office to apply very soon if you are considering participating in this manner.

2. At the school while children are not present - These volunteers may be more comfortable helping the school with clerical work, yard work, gardening, serving on Committees, etc. There will also be several Saturday work days scheduled for those families that would like to help with school projects.

3. At home helpers - Throughout the year help is needed for cutting, folding, sorting, calling, etc. These tasks can be done from home and still count toward meeting your parental volunteer requirement.

Many volunteer activities in the school will be organized by members of the PAC School Grounds Committee. Emails will be posted with various items that need help to complete. Classroom volunteering and take-home projects will be organized by the teacher, please contact the teacher personally via email or phone in addition to checking their newsletters for volunteer opportunities. In order to volunteer in the classroom and ensure the safety of our students, an application for a background check through the Polk County Schools must first be completed and fully processed. If you have already been approved as a volunteer at any school in Polk County you will not be required to reapply. If you are new to the area or have not yet applied please contact us as soon as possible as it can take the School Board a month or longer to process the application. To enable volunteers to work with students in the classrooms, the school will provide training in the curriculum areas where volunteers are needed.

GROUND RULES AND DISCIPLINE POLICY:
FREEDOM WITHIN LIMITS

Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse will utilize the Polk County School Board Code of Conduct to handle discipline matters that occur at the charter school. LMS reserves the right to create its own code of conduct in subsequent years if the governing board and school staff feel this is appropriate.

Click to view the Polk County School Board Code of Conduct
(PDF format: Acrobat Reader is needed to view this document)

Montessori education is based on empowering the student to make appropriate decisions about behavior in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. There is no place for corporal punishment or emotional intimidation in a Montessori environment.

One goal of our school is for the children to be self-disciplined. There is a wide age span within the range of "normal" for the development of self-discipline. To encourage self-monitoring of behavior by our students, we control the environment instead of the child as much as possible. We want it to be easy for the children to behave appropriately.

Appropriate behavior is taught when children are not in a stressful situation. Then children can learn by role-playing acceptable alternatives to hitting, screaming, biting, scratching, name-calling, etc. These lessons are given individually and at group time throughout the year as needed. We use peer problem solving whenever possible when children have disagreements. Children who are out of control stay with a teacher or sit alone until they can control themselves. Whenever possible, children are allowed to experience the Natural and/or logical consequences of their actions. For example, when you throw a puzzle, you pick it up and then find other work that can be handled more appropriately. For more serious situations such as biting, hitting, or refusal to cooperate - parents will be called to pick up their child.

In keeping with Montessori philosophy, we redirect the following behavior patterns:

Unbecoming behavior (i.e. nose-picking)
Behavior destuctive to the environment (i.e. throwing work)
Behavior destructive to others or their work (i.e. disturbing another's work)
Unproductive behavior (i.e. walking aimlessly through the room)

In a serious situation, such as a physical fight between children, the following steps are followed:

1. Check that everyone is safe
2. Remove those not involved
3. Describe what is happening in a non-judgmental way
4. State the appropriate ground rule
5. Separate the child from the situation as gently as possible
6. Preserve self-dignity
7. A parent will be called to pick up the child.

Children may be required to sit at a table by themselves and work will be provided for them. They will lose their freedom of movement for a period of time according to their development. This could range from a short amount of time to an entire work period. If a child's behavior (for example: temper tantrum) is disruptive to the classroom the child will be taken out of the classroom. Parents will be notified of these situations either by email, phone call, and/or incident report.

If the student repeatedly needs office support to deal with his or her behavior, the parent will be called to take the student home. There will be a conference with the parent before the student returns to the classroom.

If the situation cannot be rectified in a timely fashion, especially if the behavior presents a danger to other students or faculty members, our of school suspension or expulsion procedures, consistent with the LMS Parent Contract and the Polk County Code of Student Conduct, will apply. The final step is that the student is reassigned to the appropriate district school or recommended to the School Board administration for expulsion from the school district for the remainder of the year.

Admission to LMS is by choice, not mandate. LMS does provide services for ESE students as required by Federal law and our philosophy is to give children a chance to improve. However, under the terms of our charter application with the Polk County school district, LMS is not obligated to retain any student who cannot progress to and maintain minimum standards of behavior appropriate to an integrated classroom environment.

UNIFORM POLICY

Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse uniforms promote school unity, establish a level playing field, increase safety, and reduce distraction during the school day. In order to retain and enhance the integrity of the dress code, the following expectations have been established:

Uniforms are required every day. Specific exceptions (Example: the end of the year party) will be announced on the school Yahoo group by Administration.
There are two authorized vendors: 1) Lands' End School Uniform Catalogue - for all of our uniform items 2) Target - for bottoms only (Target labels must read "French Toast" or "Cherokee" official uniform labels). These vendors are the ONLY authorized vendors. Lands' End is the preferred vendor as they carry higher quality, longer-lasting clothing. See the Authorized Vendor section below for specific ordering and contact information.
Uniform Shirts - shirts and blouses may be short or long sleeved - with collar - of any solid color (no stripes, designs, multiple colors, or multi-color banding) and must be long enough to be able to be tucked in. Shirts must be tucked in at all times. Shirts with the old logo may be worn indefinitely as long as they are free of holes, frays and stains.
Uniform Shirts for cool days - On cool days, we prefer that students wear a long sleeved LMS logo uniform shirt. However, if absolutely necessary students may wear a plain, white turtleneck or plain white long or short sleeved shirt under their short-sleeved LMS uniform shirt. Plain is defined as plain white fabric that has no stripes, designs, multiple colors, multi-color banding, ribbing or other embellishments. The white shirts can be purchased from any vendor as long as they remain within the guidelines. Students will be asked to remove any shirts that are worn under their uniform shirts that do not follow these guidelines.
Field Trip Shirt- on field trip days all students must wear a Chambray Blue (light blue) uniform polo shirt for safety purposes. Beginning with the 2008-09 school year, students will only be allowed to attend a field trip if they have a field trip shirt.
Chorus members-all off campus chorus performances require that chorus members wear a Chambray blue (light blue) uniform polo shirt and a pair of pants (full-length pants, no shorts or capris). Students not in their chorus uniform will not be allowed to perform at the event. If the event is a field trip, students will remain at the school.
Outer garments- All outer garments (Example: cardigan sweater, pull-over sweatshirts, and light jackets) that are worn inside the school must have a LMS logo, be of any solid color (no stripes, designs, multiple colors, or multi-color banding) and be purchased through an authorized vendor. Items with hoods are not allowed. Items worn outside do not have to follow these guidelines.
Bottoms - ONLY bottoms from authorized vendors are permitted. Bottoms may be any Khaki UNIFORM shorts, skirts, skorts, slacks, or jumpers (no sweatpants). All bottoms must be Khaki official uniform bottoms and no more than 2" above the knee. Shorts must be worn underneath skirts and jumpers (purchasing skorts will eliminate the need for shorts). Bealls School Uniform bottoms can continue to be worn indefinitely - (labels from Bealls must read "Classroom" or "School Colors")
Preschoolers-Target school uniforms start in size 3T and Land's End uniform items start in size 4. Lands' End also carries many choices outside of the uniform section under size 4, please consult with the Director about appropriate items to be ordered before ordering if you need a size smaller than 3T. All items that are sent in as a change of clothes must be approved uniform items.
Belts with a buckle must be worn if the bottom has belt loops and the student is in first grade or higher (any color or design is fine as long as there are no characters or logos and the belt has a buckle).
Tennis shoes or rubber-soled shoes must be worn with the uniform. All shoes must have closed toes and heels. Boots, crocs, and shoes with wheels are not allowable due to safety and storage concerns. Socks and stockings can be any color or style, however they must be free of holes and runs.
No makeup, tatoos or fake fingernails. Earrings must be small-no hoops. Fake tatoos will be removed if they are visible.
Hair styles - no numbers, writing or designs, no unnatural color (green, blue, ....), no picks, hats, sweatbands, curlers or other head gear.
ALL items must be free of frays and holes. In the event an item has a hole in it a parent will be called to bring a replacement.
If a family is in need of financial aid, Lakeland Montessori will purchase two uniform bottoms for each child. We will also provide free access to any donated shirts or bottoms we have on hand. Financial need is based upon qualifying for free lunch using the Polk County School Board Household Application for Free and Reduced Priced Meals. Please see the front office to obtain an application.
STUDENTS FAILING TO WEAR ANY PART OF THE LAKELAND MONTESSORI SCHOOLHOUSE UNIFORM WILL RECEIVE A UNIFORM INFRACTION. Four uniform infractions will result in a parent conference being scheduled with the Executive Director to discuss the best course of action. Parents new to the school will be given two weeks to obtain uniform items.

Authorized Vendor Information:

FOR BOTH VENDORS, PLEASE ORDER WITH PLENTY OF TIME TO RECEIVE ITEMS BEFORE THE START OF SCHOOL.

Lands' End School Uniform Catalogue - Ordering Instructions - please read before proceeding: Visit the Lands' End School website (click on link to the right). Choose the category (Uniforms for Girls or Uniforms for Boys) and click on the appropriate size range. Choose a product category (polos, pants, shorts, etc.). Select the item and click the size next to the color you would like. Enter the preferred school number, 900095167, in the box that appears after the item is ordered. Our logo information will appear. You may apply the logo to this item by highlighting it in the drop-down menu. Click "Add to Shopping Bag." On the "Shopping Bag" page, click "Keep Shopping" to order more items, or "Proceed to Checkout" to complete your purchase. All Lands' End school products will be displayed. Don't forget to check the overstock section for special deals! The quality of the shirts and other uniform items are excellent and the service is outstanding. Items are delivered to your doorstop with the logo completed. If you have any problems placing an order, or if you have questions about an existing order, please call 1-800-469-2222.
Target Uniform Bottoms - available online at Target.com and at your local store. ALL LABELS MUST READ EITHER "FRENCH TOAST" OR "CHEROKEE" OFFICIAL UNIFORM LABELS.

WHAT EACH STUDENT NEEDS AT SCHOOL

Each student is given an enclosed plastic folder in which to transport papers and other needed items to and from school. Backpacks and the like are unnecessary and are cumbersome to store. This feature of our "safe school" policy eliminates hiding places for unwelcome items of both intentional and unintentional natures. The policy also saves money and space. All homework and educational items will fit nicely inside the folder. Textbooks remain at school due to their weight and cost. Please do not purchase a backpack for your child. Your child will be asked to leave it at home. The only exception to this is for students that attend an after school program. PLEASE LABEL ALL SWEATSHIRTS/OUTDOOR CLOTHING AND LUNCH BOXES TO ENSURE THAT THEY WILL BE RETURNED HOME. Unlabeled lunch boxes and clothing items that are left at school will be disposed of or given away.

School supplies are provided by LMS through the school supplies donation fund. The donations are used by the teachers for items needed in the classroom. You do not need to purchase pencils, scissors, paper, or other consumable items for your child. The student's family is responsible for the cost of replacement of take home items along with the cost of any items that are broken in a destructive manner.

Students are not allowed to bring in toys, electronics, or games from home unless they are educational in nature and special permission has been granted by the teacher. Trading cards, pocket computers, compact disc players and portable radios are also prohibited on campus. We believe that the use of a translucent folder instead of a backpack will make it easier for us to enforce this policy. We are not responsible for items that are brought into the school.

Weapons, play or real, are not permitted. LMS follows the NO TOLERANCE policy of Polk County Schools, which mandates expulsion from school if drugs or weapons are brought onto school property.

Recognizing the important link between home and school, we do encourage students to bring in objects of interest with an educational value related to ongoing projects in the classroom.

HOMEWORK

Students in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 will be asked to do regular homework. Classroom teaching teams will specify due dates and the process of turning in homework assignments. These procedures may vary between classrooms. Students in preschool and Kindergarten will not be given homework on a routine basis.

We request that you consider a part of the nightly homework assignment at all levels to be reading to your child. Let your child hear the sound of your voice as you read to them. Hold them close or put them on your lap. With older children, take turns reading to them and have them read to you. Whatever the subject matter, allow your nightly reading to be for pleasure. We suggest that you do not force children into reading if they don’t want to or are not ready to do so. Let them know you value reading by doing it together every night. Even if your child cannot read the words himself/herself, hearing you read aloud stories like Gulliver’s Travels, Journey to the Center of the Earth, the Magic Treehouse series, Amelia Bedelia, or the Biscuit series will light up a child’s imagination and motivation to read for themselves.

MEDICAL CARE

PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL IF THEY ARE EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS THAT ARE CONTAGEOUS TO OTHERS. Your cooperation in this matter will help us keep absences of other students and staff members to a minimum. We will call you anyway to take your child home if symptoms such as fever, vomiting, and diarrhea are present, and your child will recover more quickly resting at home.

In an emergency, we will call the numbers and persons listed on the student emergency card. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you call us with any address or phone number changes throughout the year.

No medications of any kind (including cold, aspirin, and vitamin products) can be administered at school unless there is an Authorization for Medication form for the treatment on file.