Parent & Student Handbook

Chillum Elementary
“Home of the Champions!”

Mrs. Jameka Hughes, Principal

Mrs. Taniya Qureshi, Assistant Principal

The Prince George's County Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to designated youth groups.  

The Parent-Student Handbook has been compiled as a parent/student reference document that contains the major policies and procedures of Chillum Elementary School.  Please read through everything carefully.

PGCPS Core Beliefs

Prince George’s County Public Schools has established a core belief system that drive our instructional program:

• Students are our priority and all students can achieve at high academic levels.
• Families, students and educators share the responsibility for student success.
• High expectations inspire high performance.
• All staff share the responsibility for a safe and supportive school environment contributing to excellence in education.
• The support of everyone in our community is essential to the success of our schools and students, and this success enriches our community.
• Continuous improvement in teaching, leadership and accountability is the key to our destiny.

The Chillum Family has adopted all the core beliefs as well.  We collaborate, openly, as we help students reach their maximum potential for the 21st century.  Further, we are dedicated to academic excellence for ALL students.  We have established many business partnerships and look forward to parents, staff and community working as a team on behalf of our students. We encourage each parent to actively participate in their child’s education.

School Begins

The first day for ALL students is Monday, August 28, 2022

School Hours – 8:00 a.m. to 2:10 p.m.

Office Hours – 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

School Day Schedule

• Beginning of Instructional Day   8:00 a.m.
• End of Instructional Day              2:10 p.m.

During school hours, parents will need to make an appointment in order to visit the building. The appointment must be approved by the administration (Mrs. Hughes or Mrs. Qureshi). 

To contact the school office, you may call 301-853-0825 to schedule an appointment.

School Guidelines

We request that parents follow the guidelines and procedures below in an effort to keep a positive working relationship between the home and the school.

• Get to know your child's teacher early in the year. Attend the Back-To-School Night to learn the expectations and procedures of the classroom.
• Discuss concerns you may have with the classroom teacher.  Our teachers make every effort to return your calls and messages within 48 hours school days.   Please keep in mind that it is our policy that parents discuss all concerns with the teacher prior to calling the administration.
• Use the team - our Parent Engagement Assistant, School Guidance Counselor, Community School Coordinator and Assistant Principal are here to help resolve any problems related to your child's well being.  Our team is especially skilled in helping students make the beginning of the year adjustments.
• Set a good example for your child by having them at school, on-time and prepared for each learning day.  Students may enter the building at 7:45 a.m. each day for breakfast. The instructional day begins promptly at 8:00 am. Parents have a responsibility to make sure their child(ren) are on time and prepared.
• Parents may reach out and schedule a time to talk to the teachers. Please keep in mind teachers are not allowed to take calls and/or answer messages during the instructional period of the day unless it is a family emergency.
• Parents visitation to the school requires the parent to present state issued identification for a run through our Raptor system.

In an effort to have a safe and orderly learning environment, a school-wide discipline plan has been established. This plan will be guided by the Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. This handbook will be shared with all families. It includes behaviors, incentives and responses.

At Chillum Elementary, we believe that the best approach to discipline is one that is both proactive and preventive. The focus of school discipline is to promote success and to encourage self-discipline and a caring, compassionate school environment. It is our responsibility to clearly communicate the expectations for students, staff and stakeholders. Teachers will review school rules, expectations, and procedures during the first week of school and periodically throughout the school year.

School-wide behavior incentives may include:

• Attendance Incentives
• Honor Roll Parties
• Administrative Lunch Bunch
• Spirit Week

In addition, students will participate in monthly character development lessons and community projects to promote:

• Self-worth
• Civic Responsibility
• Global Citizenship
• Environmental Sustainability
• Healthy Life Choices

We are asking parents to review and practice the following with each child:

• Come prepared to work for the day (pencil, paper, fully charged chromebook, charger, and homework)
• Always follow the directions of all teachers and staff members the first time
• Dress appropriately
• Be respectful, responsible, and courteous to others at all times

On a daily basis, please:

• Provide a quiet place for your child to study each evening
• Check your child’s backpack daily for notes or important reminders
• Make sure your child gets plenty of rest
• Spend 15 to 30 minutes per day reading with your child
• Try to schedule your child’s out-of-school appointments after school hours or on days when school is legally closed.
• If an appointment during the school day is unavoidable, take your child out only for the appointment time.  This will allow your child to be in school for the remainder of the day.
• Please make sure your child arrives at school on time every day (high tardiness and absenteeism rates lead to poor academic achievement).
• Be sure to charge your child’s chromebook daily.

Homework

Homework is an integral part of the elementary school instructional program and should be completed by the assigned date. Homework reinforces what was taught in the classroom that day.  If, for any reason, a student is “legally” absent from school, it is his/her responsibility to make up for all work missed.

PLEASE NOTE: Family trips are not an excused absence. Teachers are not required to provide make-up work for unexcused absences, missing assignments will receive a score of 0 and will be averaged with other daily grades.

Grading Policy

• Teachers are required to give students a minimum of two (2) grades per week in core subject areas:  reading, math, and writing.*
• Grades will be recorded in ParentVUE.
• Parents can go into ParentVUE and view their child grades at their leisure.  This communication tool allows parents to be able to keep track of their child’s grades on a weekly basis.

*Parents are encouraged to reach out to the teacher if they find that grades are not recorded in ParentVUE.

Book Assignments

Help us make them last!  Most textbooks remain online and accessible through Clever.  When applicable, teachers will assign textbooks to individual students at the beginning of the year. Each student is responsible for the condition of his/her books. Please reach out to your child’s teacher in case your child has not received a school textbook.

We want children to understand that although the put-down humor may be very funny on TV or in the movies; in real life, humor always comes at someone’s expense. Simply stated, teasing hurts. We want every child to be treated with kindness and compassion at all times. Therefore, we will have a no tolerance policy towards all bullying and teasing at Chillum. This includes online bullying and teasing through social media.

Cell phones are not to be used on school property during the school day. If a parent wants their child to have a cell phone for safety reasons, the cell phone MUST be turned off and kept in the child’s book bag. Consequences for not following these procedures are outlined in the policy:

• 1st Time Offense: The cell phone is taken from the child, the child is warned, and the cell phone is returned at the end of the day.
• 2nd Time Offense: The cell phone will be taken from the child by the Administration. The parent must come to school to pick up the phone.
• 3rd Time Offense: The child will not be allowed to bring the cell phone to school.
• Additional Offense: If there are situations beyond this, consequences will be implemented according to the Students Rights and Responsibility Handbook, including the possibility of suspension.

Parents, please talk with your children about cell phone use during the school day. Most concerns with cell phones arise when children take out their cell phones to share them with other students.  There have been situations in which students took their cell phones to recess or to the bathrooms during a bathroom break in order to text their classmates. These situations were extremely disruptive. For security reasons, no one should know that your child has a cell phone at school, except for you.

Uniforms are mandatory at Chillum Elementary. The colors are navy blue bottoms and light blue polo shirts or the royal blue Chillum polo. Students will be allowed to wear a navy blue sweater with NO hoods, inside the building. Shoes must be mostly black sneakers. On Fridays, students will be able to wear any Chillum paraphernalia shirts with blue jeans (ripped jeans are not acceptable) for school spirit day. Students will not be allowed to wear jeggings, leggings (unless is worn under a skirt or dress), no sandals, no crocs, or any open toe shoes. Parents will be notified regarding this policy through the School Communication System and the school website. Students will need to be in uniform starting day one. If you need assistance with school uniforms, please reach out to our Community School Coordinator, Mr. Cortez Brooks at cortez.brooks@pgcps.org or you can call 301-853-0825. 

The teacher will notify the parent for the first offense of any uniform policy violation.  After that, the student will be sent to the office where an administrator will call the parents. Students are not allowed to wear hats and hoodies in the building unless it can be justified as a religious adherence. Headdresses may be worn indoors for religious or health reasons only. Students will be allowed to dress down on days designated by the principal.

The school uniform consists of:

Uniform Colors: Navy Blue with Light Blue 

• Navy Blue Uniform Pants, Shorts, Skirts, or Dress    
     (Must be fingertip length)
• Light Blue Uniform Long or Short Sleeve Shirt  
     (No thermals or long sleeve t-shirts under uniform) 
• Navy Blue, Black or White Socks 
     (No colorful or patterned tights/socks, No leggings)
• Plain Navy Blue Uniform Sweater (No Hoodies)
• All Black Sneakers EVERYDAY

Instructional Day

The instructional day for students starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 2:10 p.m.

Arrival Process

Students arriving prior to 7:45 a.m. will wait in the designated areas. Designated staff will supervise students as they leave their cars and enter the school building. Breakfast will be delivered to the classroom during the school year. All students will eat breakfast in their classrooms. For safety reasons, parents should not drop off their child prior to 7:45 a.m. because staff is unavailable to supervise them.

Additionally, parents will not be allowed to pick students up for early departure after 1:30 p.m. unless granted permission by administration.

Dismissal Process

Students will be dismissed by groups according to their method of transportation.  At dismissal, PreK and kindergarten van riders will be escorted to the main office by 2:00 p.m.  These students will remain in the front office until the van arrives. All walkers and car riders will be dismissed from their classroom doors.

Students who are picked up after 2:15 p.m. will need to sign out by an adult for picking them up late.

Early Departures

Teachers will be notified when a parent has requested an early dismissal and asked to release the student when the parent arrives. Parents will not be allowed to pick up their child from class. Again, there will be no early dismissals after 1:30 p.m. without the permission of administration.

The following procedures will be used for Early Departures:

Send a note to your child’s teacher on the morning of the early departure. Include In the note:

• Date and time of the early departure
• Name of the appointed adults who will pick up your child.  (We can only release a child to an adult other than the parent/legal guardian with written permission by the parent.)
• Upon arriving at school, report to the office to have your child released from class.  Please do not go directly to the classroom to pick up your child.
• The adult picking up the student will need to sign a roster at the time the child leaves school.
• If an emergency makes it necessary for a parent to call for a child who has not presented a note, permission must be obtained from the school office before the teacher releases the child from class.
• The adult picking up your child MUST present ID and sign them out in the office.
• Early departures must be picked up by 1:30 p.m.   The parent or designee, who comes after 1:30 p.m., will need to wait until the child is dismissed with his/her class, in order to avoid disruptions during the preparation for dismissal.

These procedures are necessary for your child’s safety and protection.

Emergency Dismissals

Announcements will be made on local radio and TV stations in the event of emergency dismissals, including dismissals for inclement weather. If it is necessary to close schools during the school day, the time for dismissal will be included in these announcements. In the event of inclement weather or national/local emergencies, please listen to your local radio or TV station or check the school system website, www.pgcps.org.

IMPORTANT: Please discuss with your children the plan your family has arranged for them in the event there is an emergency dismissal and you or your child’s daycare provider are not at home. Make these arrangements ahead of time, so your child knows what to do if he or she comes home from school and cannot gain entry into the house.  It is also important to notify any after school van/daycare providers of changes in pick up such as early dismissals, school closures, or emergency closures.  The school is not responsible for communicating with your childcare providers.  We must contact parents/guardians listed in schoolmax.

Health Room Services

A trained, registered nurse provides health services in our school.  This means that certain medical procedures are beyond the capabilities of our nurse. Please do not send sick children to school.  Children who get sick at school will need to be picked up by their parents and taken home. The nurse will continue to update and maintain students’ shot records.

Health Room

Illness and Injury

It is the policy of the school that all ill children should be sent home rather than remain at school.  We do not have medical or nursing facilities to care for sick children. Parents will be called by phone if a child becomes ill or has an accident.

It is of utmost importance that parents keep the school informed of how you may be reached in case of an emergency involving your child. Please inform us immediately when there is a change in your phone number or name recorded in our student information system.  We should always be able to contact you.  Also inform us of any changes to the name or telephone number of your emergency contact person. Please keep your family card information up to date.

In order to be exempted from Physical Education activities, students must have a doctor’s statement sent to the school. The doctor should state the reason and the expected dates for the exemption. If the student is to be excused for one or two days only, a note from the parent will be accepted.

Please keep the school informed of any health problems that require special consideration for your child. Please keep your child at home if they have a temperature 100.4o or more.

Medications & Health Forms

Students are permitted to take medication at school only when it is deemed absolutely necessary.  A Medication Authorization Form must be on file for each individual situation.  The school system policy states that school personnel cannot accept medication, unless the receipt is completed on the appropriate form.  Please see the Health Room Aide or School Nurse for a copy of the Medical Authorization Form.  It is against PGCPS Health Service policy for students to carry medication of any type on them or in their book bag.

Cough drops must be turned in to the school nurse in the morning with a note from the parent requesting their use.  We need to have the nurse monitor the frequency of use in case the child gets ill.

Health Room

Absence From School

Daily attendance is critical for your child to achieve his or her highest potential. It is our goal to work together with the parents, to ensure your child attends school on a daily basis.

The State of Maryland recognizes the following as lawful absences from school: death in the immediate family, illness of the student, quarantine, court summons, tornado or hurricane, religious holiday or a state of emergency. Students with excused absences are allowed to make up work and receive credit for doing so.

PLEASE NOTE: Family trips are not excused absences. Teachers are not required to provide make-up work for unexcused absences. Per PGCPS attendance policy, students shall receive a zero for any day(s) of unexcused absences, which will be averaged with other daily grades.

Upon returning to school from an absence, a child is required to bring a note from the parent stating the reason for the absence.  This note is given to the classroom teacher.  Students who have unexcused absences or who are frequently tardy will be referred to our School Instructional Team and to the PGCPS Pupil Personnel Worker assigned to Chillum Elementary.  

Visiting Your Child's Classroom

Visitors are always welcome at Chillum Elementary.  However, please be advised that you may not be allowed to visit the classroom during specific times; for example, during testing, fire drills, or if we are required to Shelter in Place.

Classroom Visitation Guidelines for Chillum Elementary School

Parents are welcome to the school to observe your child’s class. We encourage you to pre-schedule your visit with your child’s teacher. Visitors may be asked to leave earlier if the visit becomes disruptive in any way. We are always happy to have parent participation and interest in the educational process at Chillum Elementary School.  Remember during your observation:

• Please take a seat in the back of the classroom, and please refrain from sitting with your child.
• Observations are the time to observe only. Please remember that instruction will be occurring when you are in the classroom.  Please do not interact with the students, your child, or the teacher.
• Visits should remain brief (suggested time: 30 minutes or less) to avoid distractions/disruptions to instructional programs.  
• You are welcome and encouraged to take notes.  If you have any questions, please write them down so that they may be discussed with the teacher or emailed at a later time.
• If you have any questions about the observation, please leave a message at the main office for the teacher to contact you.  When your child’s teacher contacts you, please let him or her know if you would like to schedule a conference.  This will give the teacher time to prepare for your meeting.

Visitors to Our Building

All visitors to the building will be required to show photo I.D., even if staff knows them.  School staff will scan the ID through the RAPTOR System and print a Visitor’s Pass. Please be gracious, when office personnel ask for I.D. They are required to do so. There are no exceptions. The procedure is for the safety of our children!

• For the safety of all of our children, parents or visitors will not be allowed to enter the school building using the side doors.
• All adults visiting the school must stop at the school office to receive a Visitor's Pass before going beyond the front hallway.  All staff at Chillum Elementary have been instructed to stop anyone whose visitor’s pass or PGCPS badge is not visible.  These visitors will be treated as intruders.  We must keep all children safe while in our care.
• Parents desiring to meet with a particular teacher are requested to call in advance, so a mutual and convenient time can be arranged.  
• Teachers are required to provide active supervision for students during their instructional time each day.  They are not available for discussions at this time.

School Volunteers

We hope that many of our parents will take time from their busy schedules to volunteer at school.  We appreciate utilizing volunteers in many areas of the school, such as, the classroom, hallway monitors, media center, lunchroom, recess and/or field trips.  If you are unable to help during the day, perhaps you can help by doing things at home or in the office to support the activities of the classroom.  Please let the classroom teacher know of your availability.  Volunteers are reminded to sign the volunteer roster in the main office before reporting to the designated location.

Volunteer Requirements

1. All volunteers – such as mentors, interns, tutors, chaperones, and individuals working in concession stands and at gate receipts at athletic events - must undergo a fingerprint background check, child protective service clearance, and training on reporting suspected child abuse at least 15 business days in advance of the day field trip, overnight trip or activity on or off school property.
   
2. A fingerprint background check must be initiated through the PGCPS Fingerprinting Office before performing duties and the Child Protective Services clearance must be initiated through Human Resources.
   
3. The prospective volunteer must complete the required SafeSchools training, including the Prince George’s County Child Abuse: Mandatory Reporting module. Upon completion of the modules, the prospective volunteer must submit the certificates of completion for each training module completed to the site-based volunteer coordinator or the principal.
   
4. Any parent/guardian who needs assistance covering the cost of a fingerprint background check, and whose child(ren) qualify for free and reduced priced meals, may request waiver of the background check fee by providing a copy of their eligibility letter from the PGCPS Department of Food and Nutrition Services.
   
5. Exceptions:
   1. Volunteers do not have to complete a fingerprint background check, CPS clearance check and SafeSchools training requirements if they are volunteering on campus only one time in a school year for an event, such as parents volunteering for career day, book fairs, school dances, etc. However, these volunteers must still provide a copy of their government issued identification to be scanned into the Raptor Visitor Management System, as required by Administrative Procedure 0500, when visiting school property.
   2. Current employees who have undergone a fingerprint background check may attend field trips by providing a copy of their work ID in lieu of completing a new background check. School staff must also check the PGCPS Employee Directory to confirm if it contains the employee’s name.
6. The principal must first communicate with and receive approval from the  Human Resources Office if a former employee wishes to be a volunteer. Additionally, the former employee must scan their government issued ID through the Raptor System when visiting the school.

Process to Become a School Volunteer

1. Apply/ Create an account online (must be done annually)  CLICK HERE
2. Complete your Fingerprints/ Background Check with PGCPS

Sasscer Administration Building Background Unit
14201 School Lane, Room 128
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Monday-Friday • 8 a.m.- 4:45 p.m. (no appointment necessary)
Credit card, money order, cash and company checks accepted

Telephone: 301.952.7831

hr.backgroundunit@pgcps.org

3. Complete the 4 SafeSchools Training videos

Fingerprinting and Background Check Information

SERVICE LOCATIONS:

Hughes Barney Investigations 
9315 Largo Drive West #100 
Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 
301-333-1728 

Monday-Friday • 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 
Monday and Wednesday • 5-7 p.m. (by appointment only) 
1st & 3rd Saturday of the month • 8 a.m.-noon (by appointment only) 
http://hbinvestigations.com

E. House Executive Security Professionals Inc. 
4147 Auth Place #420
Suitland, MD 20746 
301-899-2828

Monday-Friday • 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 
Tuesday and Thursday • 5-7 p.m. (by appointment only) 
2nd & 4th Saturday of the month • 8 a.m.-noon (by appointment only) 
www.eh-esp.com

Sasscer Administration Building Background Unit
14201 School Lane, Room 128
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

Monday-Friday • 8 a.m.- 4:45 p.m. (no appointment necessary)
Credit card, money order, cash and company checks accepted

Telephone: 301.952.7831
hr.backgroundunit@pgcps.org

Services and fees:

• Fingerprinting and Child Protective Services(CPS) Clearance $61
  For all PGCPS employees, volunteers assisting on campus more than once each school year with students and/or chaperoning on field trips, and independent contractors. 

Due to this recent change in policy (Administrative Procedure 4215), commercial background checks can no longer be utilized for field trips. 

For questions, contact the Background Unit at 301.952.7831.