We believe that regular school attendance affords students the opportunity to learn. Please commit to:

• On time arrival. Students must be in their seats, unpacked and ready for instruction, when the morning bell rings at 8:00 am. Plan to arrive prior to this to allow adequate time to get to class and transition into learning activities.
• Minimal absences. Everyone gets sick. We get that and we work with students who have missed time to help them make up assignments, but we can never make up for the missed learning opportunities.
• Avoid vacations during school days. Vacations are NOT excused. However, if it is unavoidable, you may submit a written request before you go to allow your child to receive credit for missed assignments.

In order to learn, students must feel safe at school. The adults in our school work diligently to provide a safe environment, however, students also share in the responsibility for this. 

Students are held to the AACPS Code of Behavior expectations. Behavior infractions are responded to individually and progressively. Our goal is for students to learn to make appropriate choices at all times.

This year, we will continue to strive towards the designation of The Wellness School Distinction. Our initiatives are encouraging our students to drink more water, eat healthy and be active. With these goals in mind, we will no longer accept any FOOD to be brought in as birthday treats.

We will still support the celebration of birthdays and ask if you choose to send in something for your child that it be a non-food item . Examples: pencils, stickers, bouncy balls, erasers, feel free to get creative with it! We appreciate your understanding and support.

Bullying and cyberbullying, harassment and intimidation, hazing, and/or bias behaviors are unsafe behaviors that do not reflect respect for others as defined by the Code of Student Conduct. If your child is a target of one of these behaviors, you can report this using the Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form that is available on the school website (find resources and form here) or from the main office or the school counseling office. Students can also report directly to a staff member. When a situation that involves any of these behaviors is reported, staff members will respond quickly and will provide a practical, private, and safe place to report.
How to Tell If Your Child/Student Is Being Bullied...
   • Change in school performance
   • Absenteeism
   • Truancy/drop out
   • Peer rejection
   • Fear of social situations
   • Alienation and loneliness
   • Poor self-esteem
   • Chronic illness

What Can You Do?
   • If the bullying is occurring at school, contact the teacher, school counselor, and/or administrator.
   • Ask your child’s teacher questions about his or her interactions with other children.
   • Look for help from the school counselor with social skills, assertiveness, or friendship skills training.

If it is determined by an administrator that bullying or cyberbullying, harassment, intimidation, hazing, and/or bias behaviors have occurred, the students involved in these behaviors will receive support from a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, pupil personnel worker, or school health staff person to be sure that everyone involved in the incident feels safe and supported and understands how to avoid these situations in the future.

Behavior before and after the bus arrives is a community responsibility that should be shared by all parents at a particular stop. To alleviate problems, we suggest the following:

1. Do not send children to the bus stop too early.
2. Parents, if possible, should accompany students to the bus stop. Perhaps a schedule of days for different parents would be helpful.
3. If children are misbehaving, notify their parents.
4. If you have concerns about bus arrival times or any other bus concerns, please contact Mrs. Akers at school.

Cooperation from you, the community, will prevent the school from spending instructional time solving behavior problems that the children bring from the bus stops.

School bus transportation is a privilege. This privilege may be temporarily denied or permanently revoked if the misconduct of the child jeopardizes the safe operation of the school bus or the safety of pupils riding the bus. Parents are responsible for seeing that their child attends school despite the loss of riding privilege.

Please go over these bus regulations with your child.
  1. Be respectful of all people, including all bus personnel.
  2. Observe the same conduct as in the classroom.
  3. Be courteous; use positive language.
  4. Do not eat or drink on the bus.
  5. Keep the bus clean.
  6. Cooperate with the driver.
  7. Do not be destructive.
  8. Stay in your seat while the bus is in motion.
  9. Keep your head, hands, feet and objects inside the bus.
10. Talk quietly to your friends.
11. Glass containers are not permitted on the bus.
12. Large instruments and/or projects that do not fit in a seat are not permitted.
13. The use of cell phones is prohibited. They must remain off and out of sight.

Please review with your children.

• Enter the cafeteria in the same quiet manner that you used when you came down the hall.
• Walk slowly.
• Be polite in the lunch line. Speak clearly to the serving person.
• Use only “inside voices” while in the dining area.
• Be willing to make new friends when it is necessary for you to sit beside students you have not met. We do not “save” seats.
• Remember to get your seasoning or sauces (ketchup or mustard) before going to your table. When you do forget, raise your hand and ask for permission to return for it.
• Do not trade your food or give it away.
• Remember to use good table manners, as you would at home.
• Try to keep our cafeteria clean, so others can enjoy their lunches.
• Listen carefully when a teacher speaks to the entire lunchroom. Stop talking immediately if an adult is speaking.
• Walk at all times in the cafeteria.
• Remain seated until your class is dismissed.

The classroom teachers will review these guidelines with their students as well.

• Please remember that you may not drop your child off before 7:45 a.m. Staff members begin their duties at 7:45 a.m. Prior to this, supervision is not available.

• Also, keep in mind that some employees do not report to work until 7:45 a.m.; therefore, please do not block the employees lot lining up for the morning drop-off.

• The drop off lane (in the faculty lot) is for students that are able to get in and out of the car independently. Please work with your child to be able to get in and out of the car independently.

• Our Bus Loop may not be used by cars, for any reason, between 7:30-8:15 am and 2:15-3:00 pm. No Parking, even temporarily during those times.

Fire Lanes/Car Loops Policy

This serves as a reminder that parking in designated fire lanes and/or bus loops is prohibited. This prohibition extends to staff, students, visitors, spectators at athletic events, day care vans, and after-school activity vans such as karate centers, clubs, etc.
Any vehicle parked in a fire lane or obstructing a fire hydrant must be moved to an authorized parking space.

Maryland Motor Vehicle Law§ 21-101.1(b)2,3 states,
A person may not drive a motor vehicle in violation of any provision of this title on any property that is owned by or under the control of this State or any of its political subdivisions, county boards of education, or community colleges and that is open to vehicular traffic and used by the public in general. Any person who violates any provision of this subsection is in violation of the law to the same extent and is subject to the same penalty as if the motor vehicle were driven on a highway.

As you know, in a critical emergency, the loss of even one minute caused by vehicles blocking fire and police department access can become critical. If you have any questions, contact the Supervisor of Transportation, at 410-923-7884.

Anne Arundel County Departement of Recreation and Parks offers after school child care at some locations. Visit School Age Child Care (SACC) for more information.

When your child brings money to the school for field trips, pictures, etc., please put the money in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, grade and teacher’s name on it, as well as the amount and purpose of the money. Students should not bring large sums of money to school unless it is for one of the above purposes. Students should not give money to other students for ice cream, etc. Please encourage your child to assume responsibility for lunch money. 

Conferences will be held in November. Parents and teachers may request additional conferences as the need arises via a personal note, email, telephone call, or a notation on the report card. All conferences must be scheduled in advance to ensure there is no disruption to the instructional program.
There may be occasions when the parent may wish to speak to the principal or counselor. We do, however, suggest that a parent first talk with the child’s teacher concerning any recent and pertinent data before arranging to see other school personnel. 
All school personnel may be reached by calling the school office at (410) 222 - 3865. Return calls will normally be made within 48 hours. 

Anne Arundel County Public Schools utilize the Connect-Ed automated telephone notification system to alert parents to emergencies and other important issues and events throughout the school system. The Connect-Ed system is also used by principals as a means to communicate with parents about key school events.

To start or stop receiving text messages, view the instructions below.

• A parent who deleted the text alert message and now wants to opt out of texting. How do I do this?
  The parent should be directed to send a text to 23177 or 67039 that says “STOP AACPS.” This message must be sent from the phone in question, and will end text calls to that number. 
  If the parent has a text message that has been received from AACPS, he or she can simply reply to that message with “STOP.” This message must be sent from the phone in question, and will end text calls to that number.

• A parent who opted out of the text messaging and now wants back in. How do I do this?
  The parent should be directed to send a text to 23177 or 67039 that says “SUBSCRIBE AACPS.” This message must be sent from the phone in question, and will enable text calls to that number.

South Shore Elementary School - 1376 Fairfield Loop Road Crownsville, MD 21032
Instructional Hours: 8:00-2:25
phone: (410) 222 - 3865  fax: (410) 923 - 6730

Principal: Tamba Elliott e-mail:telliott@aacps.org

7:45 School doors open
8:00 Classroom Instruction begins

2:25 Dismissal

The delayed school opening time plan, when used, eliminates the need to close school for an entire day.  It should be understood that this plan would be used only when conditions justify such a delay in the opening time for schools in Anne Arundel County.

Information about school closings is announced publicly as soon as possible on various local radio and television stations and at the top of the opening page of this web site.  Information is posted as soon as it becomes available. 

Note:  Please make sure you press "refresh" on your browser to obtain the most current information. While this isn't always necessary, it is sometimes to ensure you are receiving the most up-to-date information available.

If conditions warrant the delayed opening time plan, the media will be requested to make this announcement: “ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY WILL OPEN ONE/TWO HOUR (S) LATER THAN THEIR USUAL OPENING TIME AND SCHOOL BUSES WILL OPERATE ONE/TWO HOUR (S) LATE.”

From time to time, families may wish to get classmates together for social events outside of school. In early fall, the PTA publishes a student directory containing the home address, phone number and email address for each family wishing to participate.

We ask that students not bring invitations to school to be distributed unless the entire class is being invited. This will help prevent any potential hurt feelings.

Thank you for your understanding and adherence to this school policy.

Students are expected to maintain proper standards of behavior at all times while at school. These standards include respect for the safety, property and rights of others, and as well as courteous treatment at all times. Please carefully note the Anne Arundel County Board of Education policies regarding student rights and responsibilities as stated in the “Anne Arundel County Public Schools Parent/Student Handbooks.”

The discipline program at South Shore is designed to promote appropriate behavior and accentuate the positive. Children are encouraged to make appropriate choices that ensure the safety of others and respect for the learning environment.

Teachers will reward appropriate behaviors in a variety of ways and will provide warnings, counseling and consequences for inappropriate behavior. Parents will be notified of inappropriate behavior that occurs at school so that we can work together closely to modify and correct unacceptable conduct.

It is essential that parents reinforce our behavioral expectations at home. The staff and faculty will maintain close contact and open communication with families in order to ensure that every child has the chance to benefit from the instructional program in a safe, caring environment.

When a student is to be dismissed early, the school should be notified in writing in advance of the early departure. The note should contain the date and time of the early departure and the name of the person who will be picking up the child from school. The child must be picked up from the office at the appointed time and signed out at that time by the person who will be responsible for the child. Please be prepared with picture identification. In order to help ensure a safe and orderly departure from school for all students, early dismissals must be done prior to 2:25; otherwise the regular dismissal procedure will need to be followed.

If you need to pick up your child, please report to the office. We will send for your child and you will be asked to sign him/her out. Parents, guardians, and those listed on your Student Information Form are the only individuals allowed to pick up a student from school. You may also send a written permission for dismissal to other individuals in special situations.

Board policy 902.04 states that students cannot wear clothes to school that creates a disruptive environment or cause a health or safety hazard. Headwear is not permitted except for health, safety or religious reasons. No bare feet are permitted. Clothing, jewelry, book bags or other articles of personal appearance must not include depictions of profanity, vulgarity, obscenity, or violence; promote alcohol, tobacco or drugs; show underwear; show bare skin between the upper chest and mid-thigh. Flip-flops are also highly discouraged as they present a safety hazard and inhibit play during recess. Please realize the importance of helping to monitor what your child wears to school sponsored events on and off school property.

• Parents must send written notification if the pick-up procedure for a student will change for a particular day or permanently.

• Please remember that you may not drop your child off before 7:45 a.m. Staff members begin their duties at 7:45 a.m. Prior to this supervision is not available.

• Also keep in mind that some employees do not report to work until 7:45 a.m.; therefore please do not block the employee lot lining up for morning drop-off.

• The drop off lane (in the faculty lot) is only for those students that are able to get in and out of the car independently. 

• Our Bus Loop may not be used by cars, for any reason, between 7:30-8:15 am and 2:15-3:00 pm. No Parking, even temporarily during those times.

It is necessary that every family establish a procedure that their children can follow if school should have to close early due to a power failure, lack of water, heat or bad weather. Fortunately, this rarely occurs; however, when it does, it is very important that children are aware of a neighbor, relative or friend to whom they could go if no one is home. It is impossible for the school to call all parents when this happens. Therefore, we will be requesting on the emergency form, your pre-arranged emergency plan for early dismissal, which will be used throughout the school year. This plan cannot include individual telephone calls or simply waiting for a parent to get to the school.

It is of the utmost importance that we have an emergency phone number for each child in addition to the home and the phone number at the parent’s place of employment. Your cooperation is essential should there be an emergency or need of any kind pertaining to your child. 

All schools in Anne Arundel County are required to have a crisis response/emergency management plan. A response plan has been established to help school personnel deal with an emergency situation at South Shore.

Kindergarten registration for the 2022-2023 school year is on-line. Children who live in Maryland and are five-years-old on or before September 1st are required to attend kindergarten and must register at their assigned school. Anne Arundel County Public Schools offer Kindergarten programs in all elementary schools.
When registering a child for kindergarten, parents must bring the following:

I. Child’s original birth certificate or birth record
II. Medical Records (3)

1) Copy of child’s immunization record (Check immunization requirements at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines)
2) Lead certificate (for students entering Pre-K, K, or first grade)
3) Record of Physical Examination for students entering a Maryland public school for the first time. (within 9 months prior to entering or 6 months after entry)

III. Two proofs of residency (rental agreement/lease/mortgage* and a current utility bill)

1) A current monthly mortgage statement* from their lender
2) A current utility bill which must include both the top and the bottom (tear off) portion of the bill or a bank statement showing parent name and address.
 

For more information, visit the AACPS Early Childhood Education web site or contact the Coordinator of Early Childhood, at 410-222-5441. 

The teachers plan field trips as part of the instructional program. Notices are sent home in advance outlining the details and cost of the trip. No child may be taken on a field trip without written parental permission. All reservations are made in advance. Because we are obligated to pay for our reservations, we are not able to refund any money if your child misses the trip. Parents are often asked to help supervise field trips.

Chaperone/ Volunteer Info       Sexual Harassment/ Child Abuse Training Video

The faculty of South Shore Elementary School considers homework to be an important component of the educational process. It is to serve a definite purpose and be an extension of the daily instructional program. It should provide practice for skills already taught. Skills should already be understood by students.

The type, quantity, and frequency of homework assigned will depend upon the teacher’s judgment of the student’s need and ability to complete the work within a reasonable time. Homework assignments also have a value in teaching students to assume responsibility for self-improvement and to exercise self-discipline in attending to a task. Students should complete work independently. Parents should check on the process and give encouragement for homework to be completed.

Teachers will send work home to children who are absent because of illness if they feel it is necessary to the child’s progress. Otherwise, the child will be helped to make-up missed assignments when he/she returns to school. It is not necessary to call or write to request that work be sent home. There will be a 24-hour turn around time for any parental requests for homework.

The State of Maryland Immunization Regulation requires students enrolled in school to show proof of immunizations.

A student whose immunizations are not up to date or who has not provided proof of having received required immunizations will not be permitted to attend school until proper documentation has been provided to the school.

See: Vaccination/Immunization requirements

Parents may purchase accident insurance for children, covering them during their time in school and while coming to school and returning home. When paying for insurance, checks are to be made out to the current insurance company. An enrollment period is established during September of each year. Persons having such insurance and making a claim must secure proper forms from the school office before seeing a doctor, if possible.

An interim is a notice that your child is averaging a D or an E, has dropped two letter grades in a subject or is having a problem in conduct, work habits or social development. This may indicate a need for further communication with your child’s teacher. These interim reports are distributed midway through the grading period. Teachers may also send positive interim reports to recognize and acknowledge specific strengths or accomplishments.

If your child is missing an article of clothing, we suggest you check with us, as it may be in our Lost and Found. To help avoid lost clothing, please label your children’s outer garments such as coats and sweaters. PLEASE label lunch boxes! Articles not claimed within a reasonable amount of time will be donated to a relief agency.

Breakfast Program

Breakfast is available in the school cafeteria each morning. Breakfast cost is $1.50 full price and $0.00 for students qualifying for the reduced price program.

Lunch Program

Lunches may be purchased at school for $2.75. 

Reduced Price Meals are 40¢. 

Application forms for free or reduced lunches are on-line.  All applications are kept confidential and are accepted at any time during the school year.

Students are expected to use good manners and courteous behavior in the cafeteria. Due to food allergies, and the need to respect parental dietary preferences, please remind your child that sharing and/or trading food with classmates is not acceptable. Parents visiting for lunch must first sign in at the office before going to the cafeteria.

Food & Nutrition Services

The school policy is to call parents when children are sick or hurt at school. Children who are too ill to return to class must be taken home by their parents. They may not remain in school. Children should not be sent to school to report to the office for treatment of wounds or illnesses that occur at home.

In the event that your child has an accident while in school, we will do our best to contact you. If parents cannot be contacted, the emergency number will be called. Please make sure that your child's emergency information is complete and always current. If we cannot contact you, we will take all appropriate measures to assure the proper treatment of your child. 

Recess and play periods, either general or by class, are arranged during the day when weather permits. Students will not be exposed needlessly to bad weather. When a general recess is called, everyone is expected to go out. It is difficult to arrange alternate supervision for students.

Please be sure the school is aware of any particular medical situations that would affect the health or safety of your child (bee stings, allergies, asthma, etc.). Be sure this is indicated on the Family Emergency Card.

Medication: 

To request that medication, prescription or over the counter, be administered to your child during the school day at school, you must complete aForms / Most Frequently Accessed Request to Administer Medication at School, which includes several stipulations and a signed order from a physician. The term medication refers to both prescription and non-prescription medicine. Medication cannot be administered to students without this completed paper-work. For your child’s safety, all medications must be brought to school by an adult. All medications must be in a pharmacy or manufacturer's labeled container.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools require students to attend school in their geographic attendance area. Each year exceptions are made to assist parents and students due to day care needs, a recent move, or based upon a professional recommendation that a student attend school outside of their home school area. Visit AACPS Out-of-Area Transfers for more information.

PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT STARTING THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE ARE ASKING PARENTS AND GUARDIANS NOT TO BRING IN FOOD TO SHARE AT SCHOOL FOR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS. 
 
Any food sent to school to be shared with students must originate from a licensed, commercial kitchen.  (This does not apply to food brought to school for a student’s own consumption.)  Examples of licensed, commercial kitchens include supermarket bakeries, retail locations or commercial restaurants.  In addition, a list of ingredients, if available, should be attached in order to provide valuable information for students with allergies and those on special diets.

Fire Lanes and Bus Loop

Parking in designated fire lanes and/or bus loops is prohibited. This prohibition extends to staff, students, visitors, and spectators
at athletic events. Principals and building administrators will make a concerted effort to monitor these areas during the school day and

at school sponsored activities. Any vehicle parked in a fire lane must be moved to an authorized parking space. As you know, in a critical

emergency, the loss of even one minute caused by vehicles blocking fire and police department access can be the difference

between life and death.

Maryland Motor Vehicle Law § 21-101.1(b)2,3 states:

A person may not drive a motor vehicle in violation of any provision of this title on any property that is owned by or under the control of this State or any of its political subdivisions, county boards of education, or community colleges and that is open to vehicular traffic and used by the public in general. Any person who violates any provision of this subsection is in violation of the law to the same extent and is subject to the same penalty as if the motor vehicle were driven on a highway.

We are asking for your continued cooperation in reducing the number and type of phone calls made to the school. Children will not be permitted to come to the phone unless it is an emergency. Please speak with your child about assuming the responsibility for bringing lunches, lunch money, instruments, books, etc., so that they will not have to call home for these items. Field trip permission must be done in writing rather than by phone.

Class configurations are compiled by the administration and staff. This is a difficult and complex task and many factors are taken into account. When grouping children, we consider students’ abilities, work habits and social skills. We will try to place students where they will be able to work successfully with their new team of teachers and classmates, thereby maximizing their potential.

Requests for a specific teacher will not be accepted. The South Shore staff feels strongly about demonstrating mutual respect for all teachers. We have a staff with various experiences and styles, and feel all have something special to offer the South Shore community of learners. 

Requests will be considered only when they are substantiated by recommendations from a psychologist or other certified professional. Any requests need to be specific in the suggested teaching/environment characteristics required (not a specific teacher) and state the child’s individual needs so that the appropriate accommodations can be made.

This established process allows for thorough and equitable instructional placements for all of our children. Thank you for your support and respect for our professional judgment.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

The PTA is a valuable asset to the school. The members assist the school in many ways including planning events for students and their families, raising funds to purchase needed items and volunteering their time during the school year.

The PTA meets once a month throughout the school year. Meeting dates are published on the PTA calendar page of the school web site. Parents, teachers and interested community members are encouraged to become members of the PTA The success of the PTA is dependent upon the active involvement and participation of all members of the South Shore family and community.

Parents Page

Recess Weather Guidelines

What are the weather guidelines for students to go out for recess?

Prior to the first class’ recess time, weather.com is checked to determine the current temperature. If the temperature is 32 degrees or below or if the wind chill makes it feel 32 degrees or below, the students will not go outside for recess. An e-mail is sent to the staff informing them that there is no outside recess for that day.

Please make sure your children come dressed for the weather.

Report cards are issued in November, February, April and June. The major purpose of the report card is to report student progress to parents; however, it should be only one of many means of ongoing communication between parents and teachers.

The report card provides information about your child’s progress in the four major academic areas of language arts, math, science and social studies, as well as in art, music, physical education and technology. The strengths and weaknesses of your child’s work habits are also reported.

Students may be working above, on or below grade level as indicated on the report card.

Students working below grade level may receive grades higher than C or 2 (satisfactory). Parents and students must clearly understand that the letter grades reflect the child’s achievement on his or her instructional level.

Since there are a number of children at South Shore with peanut and nut allergies, please limit what foods are sent to be eaten in the classroom. For snack time, please avoid bringing foods made with nuts, peanuts or peanut butter. Students may still bring those foods to eat in the cafeteria at lunch time. Be aware that allergic children may ask them to sit somewhere else, or they may go sit elsewhere to protect themselves. Please contact the nurse if you have any questions.

J: Students – AACPS Board Policies & Administrative Regulations

For computers that are accessed by minors, and in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (federal law enacted December 2000), AACPS has implemented technology protection measures to block or filter Internet access to pictures and sites that: (a) are obscene, (b) are child pornography, or (c) are harmful to minors.

Students Shall:

• Use the provided school network account in an ethical, responsible, and legal manner for school-related tasks only.

• Communicate with others using appropriate language in a courteous and respectful manner.

• Maintain the privacy of their personal information, such as name, address, phone number, account passwords, social security numbers, and respect the same privacy of others.

• Use only user accounts and passwords provided by the school.

• Comply with copyright laws and intellectual property rights of others.

If you need to change the way your child normally goes home, we must have a signed note from the parent/guardian stating the change in transportation. For example: My child will be a car rider today instead of riding Bus 13.

If your child is going home with another student, we must have a note from both parents so the office knows both parents are aware of the change. Please be aware: If we do not have a note from both parents your child will follow their normal dismissal procedure. The office will not call to get permission from the other parent.

Students that do not ride a school bus may not ride a bus home with another student (See Exceptional Transportation below). 
 

EXCEPTIONAL TRANSPORTATION:

All children are to ride their bus and get off at their regular stop each day unless a change is absolutely necessary and has been approved by the principal. This is done so children will not be lost or left unattended, and to prevent overcrowding of buses.

If your child needs to ride a bus other than the bus to and from your home, you must fill out an Exceptional Transportation Request form from the office.

Exceptional Transportation Requests that will be considered are:

1. Parent(s) work and pupil goes to babysitter’s home,
2. Parent(s) work and pupil goes to/from a nursery or daycare facility and
3. Parent(s) go on vacation and pupil is staying with another adult.

Transportation arrangements of this nature are to be consistent for each day, morning and afternoon, for the duration of the time period requested. Approval is also contingent upon space being available on the affected bus.

Exceptional Transportation Requests for a period of time not exceeding ten (10) consecutive school days are to be submitted to the school principal or designee for approval not less than five (5) school days prior to the date exceptional transportation is to commence. Exceptional Transportation Requests for a period of time exceeding ten (10) days are to be submitted to the principal or designee not less than five (5) school days prior to the date exceptional transportation is to commence. The principal may conditionally approve the request, but then forward the request to the Supervisor of Transportation for final approval.

Emergency situations such as sudden illness or a death in the family requiring exceptional transportation to/from another residence may be approved by the principal or designee with the five (5) school day advance notice waived. Situations that WILL NOT be approved are:

Parents are invited and encouraged to visit and observe in the school. To request a visit, please contact the teacher or principal at least one day in advance to schedule a mutually convenient time. ALL visitors must enter through the main front doors and report to the office prior to going to any area in the building at any time. This helps to maintain our school security.

AACPS Regulations - Visitors to the schools (article KD-RA)

Volunteering 

Volunteers are parents who contribute their time and talents toward the enrichment and support of our educational program. They may work with small groups of children or an individual child or help to prepare instructional materials (running off papers, laminating materials, etc.). There is an orientation held in late September. In order to fully devote your time and support the teacher, no sibblings are allowed while volunteering, in the class room or on a field trip. For more information, you may contact the Volunteer Coordinators or the school. Some areas where volunteers are needed include the following:

• Reading/Writing Tutors Media Center Helpers

• Kindergarten Helpers Computer Lab Helpers

Substituting

Often our community parents wish to help us out at South Shore by substituting. This is a very valuable service. Parents need to go through the Board of Education for processing, but then can designate South Shore as a choice school. Please consider this opportunity. 

When a parent in the community substitutes for South Shore, it is highly important that confidentiality is maintained. It would never be appropriate to discuss confidential student/school events within the community as a result of the substitute’s experience.

If the administration and/or teachers feel this confidentiality is being breached, the parent(s) will no longer be able to substitute at South Shore.

Sometimes it may be necessary to close or delay schools due to inclement weather. On such occasions, tune to one of the local radio/television stations or check www.aacps.org for updates. You can also follow AACPS on Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/aacps or https://twitter.com/@aacountyschools

The announcement is usually stated “ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY WILL BE CLOSED TODAY.” Announcements usually occur between 5:30-6:30 a.m. In addition, Anne Arundel County Public Schools utilizes the Connect-Ed automated telephone alert system to alert parents to emergencies.

Delayed Opening

The delayed school opening time plan, when used, eliminates the need to close school for an entire day. It should be understood that this plan would be used only when conditions justify such a delay in the opening time for schools in Anne Arundel County.

If conditions warrant the delayed opening time plan, the media will be requested to make this announcement: “ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY WILL OPEN ONE/TWO HOUR (S) LATER THAN THEIR USUAL OPENING TIME AND SCHOOL BUSES WILL OPERATE ONE/TWO HOUR (S) LATE.”

Early School Closing

It is necessary that every family establish a procedure that their children can follow if school should have to close early due to a power failure, lack of water, heat or bad weather. Fortunately, this rarely occurs; however, when it does, it is very important that children are aware of a neighbor, relative or friend to whom they could go if no one is home. It is impossible for the school to call all parents when this happens. Therefore, we will be requesting on the emergency form, your pre-arranged emergency plan for early dismissal, which will be used throughout the school year. This plan cannot include individual telephone calls or simply waiting for a parent to get to the school.