School Policies

Morning Arrival

Student safety is of the utmost priority. The following procedures are to ensure the safety of all students.  Students may enter the building at 8:50 a.m. and report to either the Gym or breakfast.  

If you wish to walk your child into the building, please park in the lot.  No parking will be permitted in either of the car line circles. Please say goodbye in the lobby or outside of the building. Parents are not permitted to walk students to their classrooms. Students are not allowed to enter the building prior to 8:50 a.m. without an adult who has checked into the office. Supervision is not provided prior to this time; students cannot wait in the office.

At 9:00 a.m., students may report to their classrooms.  School begins promptly at 9:10 a.m. and students are expected to be in class and ready to learn. Parents of students who are consistently late to school will be held accountable for their attendance. Our school social worker will investigate excessive tardiness or absenteeism as defined by state and local laws, as well as school district policies for attendance.

Car Line

Drop-off: PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY WHILE ON SCHOOL PROPERTY.

The doors will open for drop-off at 8:50 a.m. If you arrive earlier, please remain with your child until the doors are opened; students are not permitted to wait in the school office.

 Preschoolers, Kindergartners, their siblings, and anyone needing assistance in exiting their car will enter through the side door (side circle next to the nurses office). Please proceed into the circle and pull into the designated spaces where a staff member is standing. A staff member will open the door and assist your child in exiting the car and proceeding onto the  sidewalk to enter the building through the side doors. Please do not pull around parked cars unless a staff member signals you to do so.  Please be sure that your child is ready to exit the car upon arrival in order to keep the car line flowing.

Students who are independent and able to exit their car without assistance (6-9 and 9-12) may enter through the gym doors (front circle). Please proceed into the circle, stop and allow your child to exit the car.  Staff  members will be available to offer assistance should it be needed. Please do not pull around parked cars unless a staff member signals you to do so.  Please be sure that your child is ready to exit the car upon arrival in order to keep the car line flowing.

Students will enter quietly and go to breakfast or to the gym where they will sit quietly on the floor until 9:05 a.m. when they will be allowed to walk quietly to their classrooms.

*Students are expected to be in their classrooms, ready to learn by 9:10 a.m. If they are not in their classrooms by 9:10, they will be marked tardy. Please have your child at school by 9:05 a.m. when car line ends.  Punctuality ensures that your child’s day will begin on a positive note. Parents who want to come into the building are free to park their cars and come into the office.  

Bus Riders

Paraprofessionals will greet children who arrive by bus.  Children are to exit the bus in an orderly fashion and proceed to the cafeteria for breakfast or to the Gym.  Once students have passed through the breakfast line and eaten, they will then wait in the Gym until they are dismissed to their classroom at 9:05 a.m.

Walkers

The doors will open for the school day at 8:50 a.m. Students who arrive earlier are not permitted enter the building until the doors are opened; students are not permitted to wait in the school office.

• If students arrive prior to 8:50 a.m. please remain in your car with your child until a staff member arrives to supervise.
• During poor weather conditions, please do not allow your student to arrive prior to 8:50a.m.

Afternoon Dismissal

Student safety is of the utmost priority. The following procedures are to ensure the safety of all students.

For ANY afternoon car pick-up transportation changes, the student must have a note from a parent or guardian.  This note must be presented to the teacher upon their arrival that morning.  If there is no note from a parent or guardian, the student will be sent home via their typical mode of  transportation.  There is no guarantee that teachers will have the opportunity to respond to email during the school day. Therefore, emergency changes in dismissal must be called into the office prior to 2:00 p.m.  Please recognize that changes in dismissal and calls to the classroom disrupt the learning environment and should only be made in emergency situations.

Car Pick-Up

All cars in car line are required to have the last name of the child displayed on a large sign in block letters on the windshield passenger side visor in order to expedite the pick-up process. 

The preschool day is 9:10.a.m.-12:10.p.m.

Morning preschool drop off begins at 8:50.a.m. Pick-up begins at 12:10 .p.m.  Please pull into the Sands driveway next to the church, turn left at the stop sign, and proceed to the front circle. Please pull forward to the designated spot where a staff member will assist your child in entering your car.  If your child cannot quickly and independently buckle the car seat, please pull forward to the parking spots in the circle marked  in yellow and park to assist your child. Please watch carefully before reentering the car line flow to exit the lot.                     

Afternoon Pick up for Full Day Preschool begins at 3:30 p.m.  Please enter the Sands driveway next to the church, turn left at the stop sign and proceed straight to the left of the front circle to the designated preschool spots along the sidewalk (at Music Room).  It is critical that your child’s name sign is displayed to indicate that you are to proceed to full day preschool pick up.  Staff members will assist in directing you to the proper location (as cars picking up older children will proceed to wind through the parking lot).  A staff member will assist your child in safely exiting the building and entering the car.  A staff member will provide you with a clipboard for you to sign the dismissal sheet.   Please carefully watch traffic as you merge with the L-Z pick up line to exit the lot at the lower driveway (nearest to Clough Avenue).  Staff members will direct merging traffic.

Afternoon pick-up for Grades K-6  3:35 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.  Please be considerate to our staff by arriving for pick up on time. 

Students whose last names begin with A-K will be dismissed in the side circle by the preschool playground.  Please pull into the Sands driveway next to the church and proceed straight through the stop sign to the side circle.  Please pull forward to the designated spot where a staff member is standing and he/she will assist your child in entering your car. Please do not pull around parked cars unless a staff member signals you to do so.   If your child cannot quickly and independently buckle the car seat, please pull forward to the parking spots in the circle marked in yellow and park to assist your child.  Please watch carefully before reentering the car line flow to exit the lot.

Students whose last names begin with L-Z will be picked up in the front circle. Students will be seated and wait quietly in the gym until their names are called. Please pull into the Sands driveway next to the church and  turn left at the stop sign to proceed into the front circle. Please pull forward to the designated spot where a staff member is standing and he/she will assist your child in entering your car. Please do not pull around parked cars unless a staff member signals you to do so.   

• Students who have not been picked up by 3:50 p.m. will be brought to the parent center by the staff member on duty, to wait for their parents/guardians. If a child is waiting and we are unable to locate a parent/guardian or emergency contact by the time the office closes, 241-KIDS will be called and a social worker will see that the child’s parent/guardian is located. Please be sure that your child is informed about dismissal procedures and that emergency contacts and all phone numbers are always current to prevent this from occurring. 

Bus Riders

Dismissal will occur at 3:40 p.m. Teachers will walk students to their buses.  Students are expected to be in an orderly and quiet line.

• Students must have a note from their parent/guardian if their transportation changes and should give the note to their teacher upon arrival that morning.
• In order to ensure timely bus departures and student drop offs, parents are not permitted to pull students off the bus once they have been loaded by school staff.
• Parents may not drive behind the school building to pick up students.
• No parent/student can change a student’s bus route or stop on any given day without prior district paperwork being completed and approved. Please contact the office for the appropriate forms.
• If the need arises to change your student from a bus rider to a walker, or to car pick-up, please notify the office by 2:00 p.m. to ensure your student getting the change in dismissal information prior to dismissal.

Walkers

Dismissal will occur at 3:30 p.m.  Students must be given written permission to walk home.  

In order to promote a safe dismissal environment, students must leave the school grounds once they are dismissed.  Students will sign out daily. Parents may meet their children at the side preschool door and should wait for them to be dismissed by a staff member.

• Students in grades K-3 must be escorted by an older sibling, parent, or have written permissionto walk home with a neighbor or other family members.

Early Dismissal

Student safety is of the utmost priority. The following procedures are to ensure the safety of all students.

Please make every effort to avoid taking your child out of school before 3:40 p.m.  It is important for your student to be in school all day and to avoid unnecessary classroom interruptions.               

Early Dismissal Procedure

Please send a note or an email to your child's teacher explaining the need for the early dismissal sothat proper arrangements can be made to assist you and your student. Changes in your child’s dismissal procedures cannot be made after 2:00 p.m. as we cannot assure that a message can be delivered before dismissal.  Without written notification of a change, students will be sent home by the usual arrangements.  If an emergency arises, please contact the office as soon as possible.

• Upon parent/guardian arrival to the school office, student must be signed out by the authorized adult who is picking the student up.
• Students will not be released for pick-up without the proper authorization and identification (name must be listed on the Emergency Card and ID is to be made available to the office staff).
• Students will only be called to the office upon the physical presence of the authorized adult. Please do not call and ask for your student to be waiting for you in the office; often thisleads to the student waiting for some time and missing valuable classroom instruction.

The Community Eligibility Program (CEP)  ensures that all students have access to nutritious meals while at school.  

Breakfast and lunch will be available for all students at no cost.

Breakfast

The main doors will open at 8:50 a.m. for all students who arrive for breakfast.  Students are to  proceed directly to the cafeteria for breakfast and will be dismissed at 9:05 a.m. to their classrooms.

Lunch

Menus can be found on the district’s website: Printable Menus - Cincinnati Public Schools

Lunchroom Rules 

• Stand in line; no talking please
• When in the cafeteria, walk at all times
• Stay seated and talk quietly while eating
• Use good table manners and be sure to clean your area
• Raise hand to be dismissed by an adult
• When the bell rings, students must be silent (5 minutes of silence)

It is our job to keep your children safe while in school. In order to do this we require all parents, visitors, and guests to sign-in and out in the office before and after entering the school. Once signed in, you will be asked to provide a driver’s license and sign into the Lobby Guard machine that will print a badge for you to wear while in the building. These badges let all staff members know that you have signed in at the office and/or have an appointment to visit a classroom. Please do not be insulted if a teacher or other staff member asks you to return to the office for a badge. They are required to do this as part of our safety plan. If you plan to volunteer on a frequent basis or attend a field trip, you will need to obtain a badge through the Cincinnati Public Schools Security Office.  This will require a background check through the Justice Center.

Cell phones, smart watches, and electronic devices are not necessary for school. Children bring devices at their own risk. All devices must be turned off and stored out of view at school during school hours and on the bus.  Any electronic device seen after this time will be taken from the student.  Parents or guardians will be asked to retrieve the devices at their earliest convenience. Infractions will be addressed and may result in disciplinary action.

• Arrive at school between 8:50 a.m. and 9:10 a.m.
• Be in classrooms, ready to learn by 9:10 a.m.
• Walk on the right side of the hallway and use quiet indoor voices
• Have permission and a hall pass to be in the hallways
• Show respect to all people and materials
• Interact positively with each other
• Follow the directions of all school personnel
• Allow others to learn by being quiet and orderly in our school
• Leave all toys, gum, candy, make-up, electronic devices and all other non-learning materials at home
• Be prepared for class and complete all classwork and homework on time
• Follow the school dress code

Students at Sands Montessori are expected to dress in a manner that is not distracting to the learning process.

We ask that all parents review the following rules with their children and ensure that they come to school properly dressed for the weather.

Dress Code Rules

• Hats, bandanas, kerchiefs, or other headgear is not to be worn in the building.
• Tube tops, tops with spaghetti straps, or any shirts that expose the midriff are prohibited.
• Shorts that are of an appropriate length (not to be shorter than half of the distance from upper leg and knee) can be worn during warm weather. Skirts must follow the same length guidelines.
• Pants must fit at the waist or be held up with a belt at the waist.  Underwear cannot be showing.
• Items that are distracting to learning are prohibited.
• Any clothing with profanity or violent messages is prohibited.
• Shoes should be comfortable and enable the student to walk safely about school grounds.  
• No Pajamas are to be worn to school unless it is a special event designated by the school.

Every student must have TWO yearly updated emergency cards on file with the school. The Emergency Cards are included in the Back-to-School folder.  Please fill out both of the cards, return them to school,  as one will be kept in the classroom and one in the office (Two completed emergency cards are required prior to students attending field trips).  By far, these cards hold the most important information regarding your child’s safe care.  In the event that you or a designated emergency contact  person cannot be reached during an emergency, these cards give us the consent to seek medical attention for your child. Parents MUST provide at least (3) working telephone numbers on the Emergency  Cards and ensure that contact information remains up-to-date should any changes occur during the year.

Communication with parents is extremely important to the staff at Sands Montessori. Staffcommunicate regularly with parents through scheduled conferences, phone calls, Focus, email, planners, and shared weekly student work contracts. Individual teachers will share preferred mode of communication.

1.  Conferences

Families are invited to attend one conference in the Fall and one conference in the Spring. Additional conferences may be scheduled in partnership with the classroom teacher.  “On the spot” conferences are not available.  Your student’s progress is important to us. Therefore, we want to schedule focused time for parent discussions.

2.  Focus

We encourage all parents to sign-up for Focus, the district-wide, computer-accessed information system which will allow you to view your student’s grades. Parents are encouraged to keep track of assignments and progress by viewing Focus regularly. Parents can get a Focus username and password from the main office. Please visit https://focus.cps-k12.org// to view your student’s grades, attendance, bus information, fee balances, etc.  

3.  Focus

Focus is an online integrated learning management and communication system that will help you keep up to date about important school and classroom information. Parents can create their parent accounts at https://focus.cps-k12.org/ or use the mobile App (free in your device App  store). 

You may contact the office to get your Focus parent access code(s), or you can call the CPS Help Desk at 513-363-0390 to request access information to be emailed. Like Focus, Canvas does have a unique code for each of your children, so please be sure to request each one. If you need step by step instructions, information can be obtained from the front office. 

4.  School Office

Some information regarding district materials, SMPO information, flyers, community events, etc., can be found in the office turnstyle and posted on the bulletin board.

5.  School Messenger

You will receive school updates via phone or text through the School Messenger system. Please ensure that your contact information is always up to date in the school office to ensure you receive these important updates.

A.  Homework

Homework is a responsibility that Sands Montessori students must take seriously in order to be successful in their studies. The quantity of homework varies from level to level and from classroom to the classroom. Generally speaking, you can expect about five minutes of homework per year of life. A first year 6-9 student may have about 30 minutes of homework each night. A third year 9-12 students may have up to 60 minutes of homework each night including long term projects. If the  homework demands seem inappropriate for your child, please contact the teacher so that modifications can be made. Students are responsible for completing and turning in the assigned tasks on time. Not all homework is in written form. Often students are asked to do research, read, or study without doing a written assignment. Parents can help children learn that this type of work is just as important as written assignments by monitoring the amount of time children spend on these types of tasks. 

B.  Progress Reports

Progress reports are sent home four times during the school year. These reports give importantinformation regarding how your child is progressing. Any question or concerns about your student’s progress should be directed to his/her teacher. Please remember to sign the bottom of each report and  return it to school in the envelope provided.

C.  Telephone Messages and Usage by Students   

All classrooms are equipped with a telephone. The teachers will not be able to receive incoming calls during the school day. Calls made to the teacher during the school day will be sent to the teacher's voicemail. This system is especially helpful when calling in your child’s absence. The teacher will return the telephone call as soon as it is convenient.  

Messages for children may be given to the school office 363-5000. The message will be placed in the teacher's mailbox or directed to the teacher’s voicemail. Please remember that no classroom will be interrupted to deliver a message to a child except in an emergency situation. 

Students must have the teacher's permission before using the telephone. 

D.   Emails

Email is a great way to stay in contact with your child’s teacher.  Please keep in mind that although convenient, teachers may not be able to check their email more than once during the school day. 

Please allow for up to 48 hours for a teacher to respond. 

E.   Intervention Assistance Team

Throughout the year, teachers continually review data and monitor how well students are progressing through the Montessori curriculum and the state of Ohio Academic Standards. If a student is displaying academic or behavioral difficulty, the teacher or parent may consult with the Intervention Assistance Team. This team consists of the administration, school psychologist, social worker, and other specialists such as the occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech therapist, intervention specialists, and mental health partners. The team designs alternative strategies, for students who may be having difficulty meeting academic or behavioral school expectations, using a tiered approach to intervention. These supports begin in the classroom, at a consultative level, and may progress to direct support with appropriate team members, based on the child’s needs. 

 F.   Discipline and the Child with Special Needs

Our goal at Sands Montessori is to provide fair, consistent discipline for all children. For most children with special education needs, this simply means that the regular classroom management plan will be used with them as with typical students. However, some children with special needs may require a Behavior Support Plan in addition to their Individual Education Plan (IEP). 

Should a child display routine behaviors that impact general academic progress, the teacher(s) will document the evidence of that need and contact the Intervention Assistance Team to begin the tiered intervention process. If it is determined that a student needs the ongoing, formal support of a Behavior Support Plan, the teaching team, interventional specialists, and parents develop and implement the plan for the child across all school settings.       

Regular daily attendance is crucial for student success.  If your child is going to be absent from school for any reason, please email the teacher and call the front office.  

House Bill (HB) 410 was passed by the Ohio general assembly. The purpose of this bill is to encourage and support a preventative approach to absences at school. It is important to note that following this legislation is not just school policy, but it is a state mandated initiative. The below thresholds are defined by the state.

1 School day = 6 hours
38 hours missed in a month OR 65 hours in the year= "Excessively Absent."
30 Hours missed in a row (5 days) OR 42/month OR 72 total = "Habitually Truant"

Please note: Family vacations, even with advanced notice are considered unexcused absences per district policy.

What happens if your student is Excessively Absent?

A letter from the school social worker is mailed to the home to alert families that their student is Excessively Absent. It is important to note that both excused and unexcused missed hours count towards this total (unless a medical note from a provider is provided to the school).

What Happens if your student is Habitually Truant?

An Absence Intervention Plan (AIP) meeting is scheduled with the family and the school. This meeting is a team based approach and designed to help address barriers to attendance and how the school and family can work together for the child to attend school successfully.

Each family, with children in a Cincinnati Public School (grades K - 12), is asked to pay a student Instructional Fee to help pay for consumable classroom materials.  The fee is based on a sliding scale which considers family income, the number of children in a CPS school, and their grade levels. Parents will receive a letter explaining this policy in the Back-to-School packet at the beginning of the year. 

Payment must be made via cash (exact change only), money order payable to Sands Montessori, or online payment through PayForIt.net; the district cannot accept personal checks.

All payments must include the Student Fee form for each individual child.  Please place all payments in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, room number and purpose of payment.

 A.  Student Fees

At the end of the first quarter, all families will receive a letter reminding them of their student fee             obligation(s). Beginning second quarter, student progress reports/report cards, will be withheld for   nonpayment. Fees that go unpaid over years will continue to be charged to students throughout their entire school career (grades K-12).  Records/report cards will not be released until all fees are paid in full.

B. Book Fines

Fines are charged when a student loses or damages any library or textbook that is assigned to him/her. The amount varies according to the original cost of the book, the condition, age, and extent of the damage.  Book fines will be posted in Focus for parent viewing.

All fees must be paid with cash (exact change only), credit card or money order payable to Sands Montessori; the district does not accept personal checks. Please send payment to the office in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, room number and the purpose of the payment.  A receipt will be sent home with your child.