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Ask Froggy | School Policies & Procedures

Have a general questions about Turner Creek’s policies and procedures. If you would like to ask Froggy a question, please email it to askfroggy@tce-pta.org. More information about policies and procedures can be found in the 2005-06 student handbook that was distributed at the beginning of the school year.

Recent Questions

My child is eligible to start kindergarten this upcoming school year. His birthday is October 2. My husband and I are going to wait and start him in July 2007, instead of this fall. He doesn't seem emotionally ready for school. Do I need to let the school know of this decision? Do I register him anyway?

You've asked a great question! North Carolina state law says that the children must turn five on or before October 16 in order to come to kindergarten. Kindergarten is not mandatory (mandatory school ages are between 7 and 16); however for a child younger than seven, the entry point is kindergarten. Different states have different age requirements. Some children who have late birthdates are ready to start school and others are not.

Many parents are choosing to wait until their child is six or almost six to start them in kindergarten, to give them the advantage of being socially and emotionally more mature. Other parents believe that they will just retain their younger child if needed rather than wait a year to send them. I have never heard a parent say they regret waiting to send their child, but have often heard parents say they wish they had given them more time to mature and had not sent them to school so young. The decision has implications throughout a child's school career, so it should be made with a lot of careful thought for the future.

The decision to have a child start school should not be a struggle for you. Many times if a parent is struggling with the decision, the decision should be to give the child the gift of time. Let them have the extra year to mature and grow.

If you decide to hold your child out another year, there is nothing you have to sign to let the state know of your decision. If they are already registered, just call the school and ask them to hold the file until next year. If they are not registered, just register them during the kindergarten sibling registration held the next December/January. Then relax and know that you have made the best decision with the information you have and enjoy your child.

My child missed the birthday cutoff to start kindergarten by two weeks. What can I do so she can start school anyway? Can I send her to private school for kindergarten so she can start first grade the next year?

North Carolina law sets the age requirement for school: for a North Carolina resident, a child must be five years old on or before the October 16 cutoff date. It also says that the entry point for a child younger than seven is kindergarten. Putting a child in a private kindergarten to get around the age requirement set by law does not mean that your child will start school in first grade. The law does not apply to a child who moves here from anther state with a different age cutoff requirement.

If you still want your child to attend school, you could apply for early admittance for kindergarten. To be considered for early admittance, children must be privately tested (at parents' expense) by a licensed psychologist and score at the 98th percentile on tests of academic achievement and intellectual ability (IQ). In addition, there must be work samples provided by the parent and letters of recommendation from child care providers showing the child to be working above level. The packet containing the criteria for early admittance may be obtained from the school office.

I have twins that I need to register for kindergarten for next year. Does the school automatically separate twins or can they be assigned to the same classroom? What if I am on a single track? What if I have older children and I want my twins separated? I don't know what to do.

With kindergarten registration happening now, this is a good question. There is no hard and fast rule that says twins have to be split between two classes or have to be together. We look to the parents and caregivers to provide information in making good decisions about the children. We have had twins in both situations. Having twins in the same class helps parents keep up with class activities and communication, and helps the twins stay connected. Sometimes having twins in separate classes allows both children to develop their own personalities and their own areas of expertise, especially where one twin is more outgoing and may overshadow the other one.

In May, parents and the principal can conference and make the decision for each set of twins. As the children move through their years in elementary school, this decision may be changed if needed as the twins grow and develop.

If twins are assigned to a single track and the decision is to split the twins, we will move them to a double track. If this decision will affect an older child and you know that now, please contact the principal. Moving an older sibling because of younger ones should happen earlier, rather than later, to avoid disruption for the older child and allow them to make friends on the new track as well.

My child has a virus and is running a temperature, but the doctor says he can come to school. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics, but he is complaining that he doesn’t feel well. Should I send him? I don’t want him to miss school if he can be there. What is the policy on sick children?

The policy on sick children is based on the guidelines from the Wake County Health Department. These guidelines state that a children should be fever-free for 24 hours, without fever-reducing medicine, before they return to school. Sometimes children feel sluggish and out of sorts with a slight temperature. Even though you want to send him to school, having a temperature can make for a miserable day for your child.

My child is out sick with the flu. What do I need to do about getting his homework from the school? How long does he have to make up the work?

homework, if they are sick, they probably do not need to work on homework, but concentrate on getting rested and well. Homework is for practice of skills taught. If a student is absent for the instruction, they may be better off waiting until they return to get the work. Wake County policy says that children have one day for each day of absence to make up work. If a child is out more than 3 days, they have 2 days for each day absent to make up work.

If your child is going to be out for several days, send an email or make a phone call to the teacher and ask them to send the work home with another child or ask them when it is convenient to pick up homework. Please give 24 hours for the work to be gathered and ready for pick up.

Since teachers are teaching children, they may not get to their mailbox to pick up a message about the work in time to get it ready to send that day. Or, they may be so busy teaching that there is not time to gather the materials until after the students have gone home.

With the hurricanes this summer and snow or ice storms possible this winter, what do we do if the children are let out from school early? How does the school notify parents about an early closing? Will the buses take children home or do we have to pick them up?

With the possibility of inclement weather during the upcoming months, now is the time to review procedures with your child. If school is released early due to bad weather, the local radio and TV
stations will broadcast information about closings. Do listen to the radio, TV, or tune into the internet to get up-to-date information. Please do not call the school to see if a decision has yet been made. Do send in a note now to your child’s teacher to let them know if you want your child to ride the bus or if you will pick them up in carpool. If your child normally goes to the YMCA for its after school program, the YMCA will not operate if we dismiss early for weather-related emergencies. Your prior planning helps reduce anxiety for your child and allows for a calm dismissal.

My child is having a birthday party and I want to invite his friends from school. Can I send in invitations for the school to hand out?

Your question is a common one. The school policy is to have parents mail invitations to any child they invite to a birthday party. Once the PTA directory is published, you may use that avenue for party invitations. We do not want children to feel left out, nor do we want parents to feel like they must invite every child in the class. Thanks for your sensitivity to all students.

We are going to take a trip to Disney during December and are on track 4. Is there a difference between an excused and an unexcused absence? How do absences impact my child? If my child has an excused absence will it show up on the report card?

The student handbook lists the reasons for approving an absence. Illness, death in the family, and absences based on religious reasons are approved. Typically, family vacations are not excused. One of the benefits of the year-round calendar is the ability to schedule vacations and appointments during track out breaks. Right before or after track out time or around the holidays there is an increase in student absences. The calendars for 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 are on the Wake County website at www.wcpss.net for you to use in planning future vacations. The calendar committee is also working on the calendar for the 2007-2008 school year at this time. We will let you know when that calendar is available to access as well. Absences impact a child whether they are excused or unexcused. Children will be allowed to make up any missed work, but they miss out on the teachers’ instruction when they are out. Attendance at school is important, and we need to let children know we value their education by ensuring they are in school as much as possible. Any absence will show up on a child’s report card. (Note: With the No Child Left Behind legislation, a school must have a 95% or better attendance rate. If the attendance rate is below 95%, a school may be labeled a low performing school based on poor student attendance. Every absence, whether excused or unexcused counts under the NCLB accountability plan.)