Policies and Procedures

Marigny Elementary School where students take the First Steps to Lifelong Success! 

Our Marigny family strives to instill a lifelong love of learning by providing a stimulating and engaging educational program that develops all students academically, socially and emotionally in a safe, positive and inclusive learning environment.

The Marigny Elementary family believes:

• All members of our learning community share in the responsibility of nurturing good moral values and promoting patriotism and good citizenship.
• A positive engaging learning environment will be provided to all students.
• All students will be challenged to be problem solvers.
• All students will be challenged to be team players in working toward a common goal.
• Technology skills are essential and will be integrated in all areas of the curriculum.
• Communication is vital between home and school for maximized student success.
• Everyone will be treated with respect and kindness.
• Each student will be provided with an educationally engaging inclusive environment that develops the whole child.

Each school day begins with Morning Meeting where sharing takes place, successes are recognized, birthdays are honored, the Pledge of Allegiance is recited and a patriotic song is sung.  Morning Meeting is the place where all members of our learning community come together to start each day in our positive learning environment.  

Pink emergency cards will be sent home the first week of school.  Please return to school the following day.  We NEED at least TWO local phone numbers and a current email address to communicate with you in case of an emergency.  THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!  If any phone numbers or email address change during the year, please notify the office immediately.  These are the phone numbers and email addresses that will be entered into our JPams data system and will be used to send auto-calls, text messages and emails from time to time to disseminate information to parents. Please include information pertaining to allergies or specific health problems.  It is essential for all students to have an emergency card on file.

Visitors are welcome at Marigny, but for the safety of your child, all visitors will need to come directly to the office, obtain and wear a visitor pass. The Louisiana Legislature passed an act about visitor access on public school grounds and the St. Tammany Parish School Board adopted rules regarding visitors at our school facilities.  Therefore, we ask that you adhere to the following policies at Marigny:

• All visitors and volunteers must report to the office immediately upon arrival at school.
• All visitors and volunteers must show their Driver’s License which will be scanned and sign in on our “Visitor’s Log Book.” Visitors will receive an “official visitor identification tag” to wear.
• The information to be filled out in our “Visitor Log Book” includes the person’s name, date, destination, time in and time out.

For safety reasons, please park in a space in the front parking lot and enter school through the front door on Viola Street.  Please do not block the front drive, entrances or exits to the parking lots and respect the “No Parking” zones. Please keep the Handicapped Parking areas clear for those who need those spots.

The PTA makes many contributions to our school that benefits all students. You will be notified of possible meetings through our school newsletter, the Starfish Scoop.  Parent involvement is an important contributing factor for student success. Please join the PTA and be an active volunteer.  There will be opportunities for you to volunteer and get involved.  We greatly appreciate the PTA and all the wonderful volunteers!

The active involvement of parents in their child’s educational program is an integral part of our day to day operation.  This includes the participation of parents in regular two-way communication regarding academic learning, school schedules and school activities. Marigny believes that parents play an integral role in their child’s learning. Weekly overviews are sent home by each classroom teacher to inform parents of academic learning and to involve parents in the learning process.

Ongoing communication between the parents and the teacher is highly suggested.  All teachers will contact parents from time to time to have a conference concerning their student’s progress.  Parents are encouraged to schedule a conference with their child’s teacher on a regular basis.  Please call the office and a secretary will be happy to leave a message for the teacher and/or schedule a conference appointment for the teacher according to their availability as provided to the office.

When you need to send money to school, it is recommended that you send a check or money order.  All money should be sent to school in a sealed envelope with the following information on the outside: 1. your child’s name, 2. the teacher’s name, and 3. what the money is to be used for. We cannot be responsible for cash being sent to school with our young students. 

It is highly recommended that you pay for items using our online payment system “My Payments Plus”.  You can set up an account and manage payment of your child’s cafeteria bill, before care and aftercare, uniform purchases and other items as the year goes on.  You can learn more about My Payments Plus on the STPSB district website or our Marigny website.

School begins at 8:45 am and ends at 3:51 pm.  Dismissal on half days begins at 12:51 pm.  Please adhere to the following procedures concerning arrival and dismissal policy:

• Duty begins at 8:15 am.  If arrival is needed before then you can register for before care which is provided here at Marigny Elementary.  Before Care begins at 7:00 am.  You must park your car and walk your child in the front door at the gym entrance on Viola Street.
• Car riders are to be dropped off and dismissed from the car line which forms on Starfish Lane off of Hwy. 59 beginning at 8:15 am.  Please pay close attention to the crossing guard who is there to help direct traffic and keep everyone safe.
• Students may only be dropped off when an adult is on duty.  Please get in the regular drop-off and dismissal line. Pull up under the covered shelter so that three to four cars can load or unload safely at once. Please wait for a duty teacher to open the car door for your child. Late arrivals (8:46 am) must report to the office for a tardy slip and be signed in by a parent or guardian.  Duty teachers must get to their classes at the 8:45 am bell. Please pull into a parking space and walk your child to the front door to sign in. Please do not send your child into school alone after the morning bell has rung.  There is no supervision available.
• Dismissal begins promptly at 3:51 pm.  Please be prompt in picking your child up at dismissal time.  The afternoon car line will also form by the side entrance via Starfish Lane off of Hwy. 59.  Do not park your car and walk to get your child. This is a dangerous practice that encourages young students to run across traffic.  It also slows down the loading process for everyone.  We need all of our attention on the children in order to load them safely.  We will load three to four cars at a time.  You will be given two name plates when picking up your child.  Place one of the name plates in the front windshield of your vehicle.  When it is loading time your child’s name will be called. No one will be allowed in the building during dismissal.
• Anyone attempting to pick up a child that does not have a Marigny Elementary car line sign, should report to the office to have his/her ID checked.  Students will only be released to those that have been listed on the child’s emergency card.
• Students who are not picked up when the car line is completed, no later than 4:15, will be brought to the office to call a parent. Please make every effort to be on time for dismissal.
• Students who need aftercare on a regular basis should register for After Care here at Marigny.  More information concerning Before Care and After Care will be discussed in another section of this Handbook. Siblings from Magnolia Trace who need Before Care and/or After Care will be shuttled to MTE in the morning and to Marigny after school where these services will be provided.
• To pick up someone else’s child, we must have written permission from the parent. This is for the safety of your child. Make sure you give your child clear directions about their dismissal procedures.  It can be very frightening for a child if they do not know what to do at dismissal.  Your help to ensure your child’s safety and security is appreciated.  
• If a change cannot be avoided due to a scheduling problem or an emergency, a note must be sent to the teacher and the office at your earliest convenience stating the needed change. Any change must always be in writing. For safety reasons, we cannot accept transportation changes over the phone.

We encourage you to send your child on the bus.  Please talk to your child about the importance of appropriate behavior on the school bus.  All students must comply with the bus driver’s rules.  Your child may lose bus privileges if he/she does not follow the bus rules. Students repeatedly not following the rules will receive a bus conduct report.

It is important for all students to be in attendance daily.  Establishing good attendance practices early on lets your child know that you value school, and it is important for them to be there each day. Please be aware and adhere to the following procedures concerning attendance:

• All absences whether excused or unexcused shall be counted as an absencefor attendance reporting purposes to the St. Tammany Parish School Central Office.  Elementary students may not be given credit if they are not in attendance 167 days per year.  No more than 10 days may be missed unless extenuating circumstances exist.
• If your child is absent, please send in a written excuse from the doctor and/or a note from home explaining the absence as soon as your child returns to school.
• After your child has accumulated three unexcused absences you may receive a letter from school alerting you and reminding you of the Louisiana Statute relative to your responsibility to have your child at school on time each day.
• After a child has been absent (excused or unexcused) 7 days, parents are automatically notified each month of the accumulated absences by a computerized letter sent by the St. Tammany Parish School Board Data Processing Department.
• If your child is ill, keep them home. Please do not send him/her to school with fever or other symptoms of a contagious illness.  Any child with a temperature of 100 degrees or more will be sent home.
• The school district policy recommends that a student be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.  If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea before school, please keep him/her home until at least 24 hours after it subsides.  For more information please see the Medical Tips from the School Nurse at the back of this Handbook.

If you need to check your child out of school before regular dismissal you must check your child out in the office.  For your child’s safety you must present identification.  Students will not be checked out after 3:15 pm.

We are very proud to serve outstanding nutritious meals for our students. School meals are free for all students during the 2022-2023 school year through a program called the Community Eligibility Provision. Free and reduced meal applications do not need to be submitted.

Meal prices are as follows:   Guest breakfasts are $2.25 and guest lunches are $4.75. 

Students may bring their lunch from home and purchase milk, juice or water at school.  All money for beverages is paid daily to the cafeteria at a cost of 50 cents. Students may not bring soft drinks or fast-food meals for lunch.  Please refrain from sending any lunch items in glass containers.

Visitors may come to lunch beginning August 29, 2022.  The first few weeks of school the students are learning the routines in the cafeteria and need time to transition back to school.  Visitors need to make a reservation with Mrs. Denise Bangs, our Cafeteria Manager.  Please call the cafeteria, 629-3292 by 9:00 am when you are planning to have lunch with your child.  Please have exact change to pay for your lunch.  Parents may not bring any fast food or soft drinks into the cafeteria.

All students should bring a backpack daily.  For safety reasons at school and on the buses, wheeled book bags are not allowed. Key chains may not be attached to the school bags.  Please do not allow your child to load down his/her back pack with items that are not needed at school.

First grade students will receive a report card after the completion of each marking period which will be sent home on the following Thursday or Friday.  Final Report cards will be mailed out at the close of school following the last day. Kindergarten students will begin receiving a report card at the end of the second quarter of the school year.

• Kindergarten students will receive a grade for Reading, Language Arts, Math and Conduct using the following letters: Outstanding (O), Satisfactory (S), or Needs more time (N),
• First Grade students will receive a grade for Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies using the following letters: A, B, C, D, F.  Conduct grades will be assigned using O, S, N, U.
• Kindergarten students will receive a letter during the first quarter explaining the grading procedures which will be begin during the second quarter.
• You may view the parish grading policy at the district website at http://www.stpsb.org.

The inclusion program at Marigny is designed to provide all students, including those with special needs or limited physical abilities, with the opportunity to reach their maximum potential both academically and socially in the least restrictive environment that can be provided.  All classrooms are inclusive classrooms and have a heterogeneous mix of students.  Classrooms receive direct and indirect services from our Special Education teachers, service providers and paraprofessionals.

Medication cannot be administered by the school without the appropriate forms completed by a doctor.  These forms are available in the office.  This includes Tylenol or cough drops.  All medicine must be kept in the office.  Any change in medication will require a new form.  All medicine must be brought in by a parent or guardian and must be kept in a prescription bottle that matches the prescription information on the form.  Please pick up any remaining medicine at the end of the school year.  It will be disposed of if not picked up.  Children are not to transport or have any medicine with them at any time.

The purpose of homework is to reinforce, extend, or enrich learning.  Students at this age should not spend more than 15-30 minutes a night on homework. Nightly reading is encouraged and recommended.  Each grade level will provide more details concerning homework through their weekly newsletter.

Classes/grade levels are allowed to take two field trips during the school year – one each semester that is aligned with curriculum being studied.  The following procedures must be followed:

·       For liability purposes, all students must ride the school bus to and from field trips. 

·       Parents wishing to check their student out from a field trip must sign the student out in the school office prior to leaving school the morning of the field trip. 

·       The parent will receive a copy of the Sign-Out Permission Slip to give to the student’s teacher. 

·       Parents who volunteer to be chaperones for the field trip may not bring siblings.

·       Students not attending a field trip should attend school that day and will be instructed in another class for the duration of the field trip.

Your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to us.  We are always striving to implement procedures that ensure safety of our students.  The Louisiana legislature enacted Act 50 of Louisiana Law R.S. 17:416.16 which states that “all classrooms shall remain locked during instructional time” during the school day.  Our classrooms will be locked during instructional times throughout the school day.

Marigny has a thorough crisis plan to be used during emergency situations.  Should an emergency arise that requires children to be picked up early, all children will be signed out by parents in a designated area at the front of school.  During the school year, practice drills will be held for severe weather, fire, and lock-down situations.  By practicing ahead of time, our students will be calm and confident should an actual emergency occur.

Students are responsible for all textbooks issued to them during the year.  Students must pay for any lost or damaged textbook.  If a lost book is found, the money will be refunded.

Please coordinate this with your child’s teacher ahead of time so they will be prepared.  If you choose, plan to send the treat with your child the day of the event.  Parents are not permitted down the hall with deliveries once the instructional day has begun.

       When invitations are sent from students for events outside of school, such as birthday parties, an invitation must be given to each child in the class or “all girls” or “all boys”.

       We will celebrate many special events at school during the year.  The room parents will ask for volunteers to send something in for the celebration.  All celebrations will include fun, educational centers/stations and activities that stimulate and extend learning for the students.  Each day at school will be an important learning opportunity and attendance will be highly encouraged and expected.

Marigny offers school counseling services through the use of our school counselor and mental health provider who are on campus daily.  The purpose of the school counseling program is to ensure that all students are well adjusted and learning at school. Parental permission is needed for students to see a counselor or MHP on a recurring basis.

According to the St. Tammany Parish School District handbook:  The St. Tammany Parish School Board is committed to providing a safe and stable climate free from sexual harassment by students, Board Members, Superintendent, Administrators, teachers, or other employees who contract with or provide services for the Board or any other personnel associated with the Board and over whom the Board can exercise influence.

Sexual harassment is a violation of the law and School Board policy and will not be tolerated, condoned or overlooked. The Board requests and encourages persons associated with the School System who believe that they have been sexually harassed as a result of their association with the School System to report such harassment to specified Sexual Harassment Investigating Officers or school principals. 

The Board through its designee(s), will promptly, thoroughly and fairly investigate reports of sexual harassment and take appropriate action that is consistent with the results of the investigation and the legal requirements afforded by law. Inappropriate behavior by students will be handled according to the school’s discipline procedures.

The School System and Board will not tolerate retaliation by anyone associated with the School System against one who files a complaint of sexual harassment. Some acts of sexual harassment are considered criminal and are subject to prosecution. The Board and School System will fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney in investigation and prosecuting such criminal offences.

Reporting of incidents need to be made to Mrs. Martin.  A copy of the policy is available in our school’s library.

As mandated by the St. Tammany Parish School Board, students in grades K-8 will receive instruction on the topic of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Education and Reporting. All materials may be previewed by contacting the school administration. We would also like to encourage you to talk to your child about this topic as well as other general safety issues.

The St. Tammany School district handbook gives you additional information about district policies and procedures. It can be accessed online by visiting the St. Tammany Parish School System website at www.stpsb.org.  A printed copy of the handbook can be requested by calling the office.

We have rules and student expectations to protect your child and help make school a safe, fun learning environment.  We take the safety of your child very seriously. Your cooperation will help us all have a wonderful and safe, productive school year!

We have a full time school nurse that is on campus each day. The school nurse program is designed to maintain a safe and healthy environment in school.  Please review the following guidelines regarding student illness. The guidelines are meant to provide simple and effective precautions against the transmission of disease and/or infection as well as decrease the risk of exposure for all students and school personnel.  The school nurse can be contacted at Marigny.

•  Students should remain home and be fever (100 degrees or higher) free for 24 hours.
• If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea before school, please keep him/her home until at least 24 hours after it subsides.
• All persistent rashes should be seen by a doctor for proper diagnosis in order to determine the communicability of the rash.  Nurses cannot diagnose the various rashes.
• If your child has a discolored (yellow to green) nasal discharge, this may indicate an infection, thus your child may need to see a physician.
• All ringworms must be covered while at school. Ringworm in the scalp must be seen by a doctor.
• Report all communicable diseases to the school – i.e. Chickenpox (Varicella), Fifths disease, etc.
• All Chickenpox (Varicella) sores should be completely dry before the student returns to school.