Oran M. Roberts Elementary

The 2009-2010 Roberts Parent/Teacher Handbook (PDF) contains the original calendar handed out at the beginning of the school year. The handbook information and detailed school policies are listed on the backs of the calendar pages. Please note that the calendar in this book is not updated with new or changed information. Calendar changes made will be reflected on the online calendar which is part of this website.

Parents may request a conference to discuss a variety of issues. It is recommended that students be included for a portion of all conferences involving improved student achievement or discipline. Written requests should be sent directly to the teacher. Meetings may be scheduled before school, during the teacher's conference period, or after school.

Please contact the school via the "Connect With" link in the main menu above.

Visitors at Roberts are welcome at all times. HISD policy requires all visitors to sign in at the school office and wear a badge indicating you as such. Upon leaving visitors return to the main office, sign out, and return the badge. Those who wish to visit classrooms are asked to make an appointment with the teacher at a time that is mutually convenient. In an effort to cause the least distraction or disruption in the classrooom, visitors are urged to limit their visit to twenty minutes. Conferences cannot be held during this time. Instructional time is very valuable and teachers must remain free to work with the students. If a conference is desired the teacher will set a time convenient for the parent and the teacher before school, after school, or during planning time.

Please contact the school via the "Connect With" link in the main menu above.

Our dress code committee, made up of school personnel, students, and parents, determined the following for Roberts:

• Students' hair is to be clean, neatly cut, and combed. No inappropriate symbols, words, etc. carved in hair. 
• Appropriate shoes and socks to be worn at all times. No backless shoes, thongs or heels. Tennis shoes for P.E.
• No clothing which depicts alcohol, tobacco, drugs, profanity, violence, sex, phrases or pictures with double meaning, gang symbols, or activity.
• Midriffs, cut off tops, and halters are unacceptable. Mesh shirts, tank tops, sundresses, and overalls must have a t-shirt underneath.
• All shorts, skirts, and dresses must be no shorter than 3-4 inches above the top of the knee. All shirts must be shorter than the shorts or skirts worn with them. Body hugging shirts or leggings are acceptable only under skirts, dresses, other shorts or shirts that are long enough to cover the buttocks.
• Hats and head coverings may not be worn in the building except for specific medical or religious reasons.
• Make-up and valuables must be left at home.
• No garment, style, or jewelry that disrupts the educational process will be permitted. This includes, but is not limited to rips, tears or holes, baggy pants, etc. All pants must be worn at the waist with shirts tucked in.

Here is a list of the essential agreements and consequences for the cafeteria. Your child's teacher will have discussed these with the class. Please reinforce the importance of following these rules for everyone's safety.

Essential Agreements:

• Speak at an appropriate voice level. 
• Use restroom for emergency ONLY. 
• Only leave your seat for lunch related reasons (getting silverware, buying drinks and dessert). 
•  Clean up after yourself. 
• Listen to adult cafeteria monitors and accept the consequences they give. 

Whole Group Consequences

• Silent lunch if noise level is too high. 
• Assigned seats for each class. 

Individual Consequences

Pink slips will be given if rules are broken after verbal warning. Student may be moved to another grade level table if necessary.

• 1 slip = 10 minutes off recess 
• 2 slips = 20 minutes off recess 
• 3 slips = sent to office

Our primary goal for after school dismissal is safety. We want every student, driver, and staff member to be safe. Therefore, we have established a few guidelines to follow when picking up your student. We have thoroughly discussed these rules with your children.

*** School is dismissed at 3:00 PM ***

Students will not be allowed to re-enter the building without a parent.

Early Pick-Up

If you would like to pick your child up early, please go to the office first.

Extended Day

Students who are in extended day will be escorted to the outside covered area by a grade level teacher. They will remain there until they are picked up by their extended day teacher.

Bus Riders

Students who ride the bus after school will wait for the bus in the circle drive. Please do not park in the circle drive after school. It causes problems for the buses.

Car Riders

Students who are being picked up after school by a parent, sibling, babysitter, etc. will wait outside by the 1st and 2nd grade hallway on School Street. Please join the line of cars to pick up your child. Students will not be allowed to wait on the corner or in any other place on campus.

Please abide by the following guidelines:

• Be in the carpool lane by the dismissal time.
• Remain in your car at all times. Do not park on School Street! If you are in a hurry, park on Addison or Watts and walk to pick up your child.
• Do not wave, point, honk or call to your child. This will encourage them to run to you. This is very unsafe.
• Please post your carpool number in plain sight in your car, even if you are picking up only one child.
• Your child MUST be in the designated area. Children are not allowed to go to other parts of the school to meet their ride.
• Your child MUST be escorted by an adult. We will call your child's number and s/he will wait at the fence until a teacher can escort them to the car. Please remind your child to wait in the designated area and wait for a teacher to escort them to the car.
• If your child's number has been called three times, then the parent will need to circle around the block and wait in line again. This should prevent traffic from building up.
• If your child chooses not to comply with the expected carpool conduct 3 different times, then you may be asked to pick up your child in the office.

Please direct all questions to the office. Please contact the school via the "Connect With" link in the main menu above.

We appreciate your cooperation. Together we can keep everyone safe. Thank you! 

Roberts Elementary School is pleased to offer students access to the computer network for electronic mail and the Internet. To gain access to e-mail and the Internet all students must obtain parental permission as verified by the signatures on the form sent in the Tuesday folder attached to this letter. Should a parent prefer that a student not have e-mail and Internet access, using the computers is still possible for more traditional purposes such as word processing and/or drill and practice.

What is possible?

Access to e-mail and the Internet will enable students to explore thousands of libraries, databases, museums, and other repositories of information and to exchange personal communication with other Internet users around the world. Families should be aware that some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or potentially offensive. While the purpose of the school is to use Internet resources for constructive educational goals, students may find ways to access other materials. We believe that the benefits to students from access to the Internet in the form of information resources and opportunities for collaboration exceed the disadvantages. But ultimately, parents and/or guardians of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources. Therefore, we support and respect each family's right to decide whether or not to apply for access.

What is expected?

Students are responsible for appropriate behavior on the school's computer network, just as they are in a classroom or on a school playground. Communications on the network are often public in natures. General school rules for behavior and communications apply. It is expected that users will comply with district standards and the specific rules set forth below. The use of the network is a privilege, not a right, and may be revoked if abused. The user is personally responsible for his/her actions in accessing and utilizing Roberts computer resources. The students are advised never to access, keep, or send anything that they would not want their parents or teachers to see.

What are the rules?

• Privacy- Network storage areas may be treated like school lockers. Network administrators may review communications to maintain system integrity and to insure that students are using the system responsibly. 
• Storage capacity- Users are expected to remain within allocated disk space and delete e-mail or other material which takes up excessive storage space. 
• Illegal copying- Students should never download or install any commercial software, shareware, or freeware onto network drives or disks, unless they have written permission from the Teacher Technologist. Nor should students copy other people's work or intrude into other people's files. 
• Inappropriate materials or language- No profane, abusive or impolilte language should be used to communicate nor should materials be accessed which are not in line with the rules of school behavior. A good rule to follow is never view, send, or access materials which you would not want your teacher and parents to see. Should students encounter such materials by accident, they should report it to their teacher immediately.

SUCCINCT ADVICE

These are guidelines to follow to prevent the loss of network privileges at Roberts Elementary School.

• Do not use a computer to harm other people or their work. 
• Do not damage the computer or the network in any way. 
• Do not interfere with the operation of the network by installing unauthorized software, shareware, or freeware. 
• Do not violate copyright laws. 
• Do not view, send or display offensive messages or pictures. 
• Do not share your password with another person. 
• Do not waste limited resources such as disk space or printing capacity. 
• Do not trespass in another's folders, work, or files. 
• Notify an adult immediately, if by accident, you encounter materials which violate the rules of appropriate use. 
• Be prepared to be held accountable for your actions and for the loss of privileges if the Rules of Appropriate Computer Use are violated.

2009-2010 Texas Public School Nutrition Policy (PDF)