Extended Day Parent Handbook
We, the family of the Fort Bend ISD Extended Day Program, are dedicated to providing a safe, secure, and happy environment for the children of working families before and after the school day. Recognizing that all students are unique, we will strive to help them reach their full potential as responsible citizens in our culturally diverse community. We will achieve a successful work and play relationship to build respect for self and others.
The goals of the Extended Day Program are as follows:
- To provide a safe, secure, and happy environment
- To focus on educational, social, and physical needs of students
- To provide on-going training for our staff
- To utilize school and district resources to strengthen the program
- To develop and maintain a close working relationship with the school
- To support higher education
- To communicate clearly with parents, staff, and school
PARENT INFORMATION
This handbook will familiarize you with the Extended Day Program (EDP) policies and procedures. The guidelines in the District’s Student-Parent Handbook also apply to EDP. Your signature on the registration card is your acknowledgement that you have reviewed this handbook and understand its contents.
Keep your Extended Day site’s direct number in your possession at all times. It could be difficult to obtain after the school’s front office and district switchboard close for the afternoon.
ENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY
Children may attend their campus’s Extended Day Program if they are:
- Currently enrolled in grades K – 5 (6th where available)
- 5 – 11 years old (12 yrs old at K-6 campuses)
REGISTRATION/EMERGENCY FORMS
Upon registration, you must provide information essential to your child’s continued safety, including three local alternate contacts, persons authorized to sign your child in and out of our program, and any relevant medical information. This information must be updated so that it is current at all times. In the event of an emergency affecting you or your child, this form is our resource. The Registration Form is also available online.
Parents must disclose any special needs on the child’s registration form. Failure to disclose special needs at the time of registration may result in dismissal from the Program.
OPERATING HOURS
The Extended Day Program is open from 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. and from school dismissal until 6:30 p.m. The EDP is open from 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on early dismissal days and most school holidays. Extended Day holidays and closures are posted at your site.
FEE POLICY
Tuition
Tuition is due the first day of each month. Tuition is $70 for August and June; $200 per month the remaining months of the school year, regardless of whether the school is open or closed or whether your student attends or is absent. If your child attends Extended Day only in the morning, monthly tuition is $65 per child. Parents using the afternoon program may use the morning program whenever they wish without further cost by notifying the Site Coordinator at their campus. Accounts must be paid in full before parents will be allowed to register their children for the Summer Program or the following school year.
If space is available, morning-only children may attend Extended Day on early dismissal days, staff development days, or school holidays on which Extended Day is in operation provided they pay a $25 per-child fee three days in advance. This fee is non-refundable. Children who attend our afternoon program may attend full days free of charge.
Spring Break
There is an additional $60 fee for the week of Spring Break. This fee is due upon registering your child and is non-refundable.
Late Fees
A late charge of $6.00 per day, per student will be charged if tuition is paid after the scheduled date. Failure to pay tuition, including late fees, by the third day may lead to dismissal from the program. Tuition more than three days late must be paid by a money order. If tuition is not paid by the due date, late fees will begin to accrue on the child’s first day of attendance in the program. Fees will continue to accumulate until tuition is paid, regardless of whether the child is in attendance. After the fifth day, the child will not be permitted to attend until their account is paid in full.
Acceptable Forms of Payment
The Extended Day Program accepts money orders, cashier’s checks, and local pre-printed personal checks. Checks should be made payable to Fort Bend ISD Extended Day Program. Checks will only be accepted from the student’s parent or guardian and must include, in the memo section, the child’s full name and student identification number. We are unable to accept cash, business checks, temporary checks, or out-of-town checks.
Returned Check Policy
In the event that a check written to any Fort Bend ISD campus, club or organization is returned unpaid by your bank, Fort Bend ISD or its agent (CheckSmart Recovery) will redeposit your check electronically. Additionally, CheckSmart will electronically collect a returned check fee of $30.00 plus applicable sales tax. The use of a check for payment is your Acknowledgement and Acceptance of this policy and its terms. You may reach CheckSmart Recovery at (888) 851-6634.
If CheckSmart is unable to complete the above procedure, the check will be returned to the District and collection efforts will resume through the Extended Day Program. If a parent fails to make restitution for a returned check within two days of notification by the District, the child will be dismissed. Failure to make arrangements to clear a returned check will result in prosecution under the Texas Hot Check laws in the local prosecuting office and could result in a fine of $200, regardless of the amount of the check.
If a check is returned, all subsequent payments to the Extended Day Program must be made by money order.
The Extended Day Program does not issue refunds for any reason.
ATTENDANCE
If your child will not be attending Extended Day due to illness, vacation or other circumstances, please notify your Site Coordinator by email, telephone or with a note sent through the school’s front office. If you send a note, please address it to your Site Coordinator to ensure its delivery. On days your child is absent from school due to illness or suspension, attendance in the Extended Day Program is not permitted.
Five days of unexplained absence or unpaid tuition may result in dismissal from the program.
SIGN-IN AND SIGN-OUT POLICY
All students must be signed in and out by an authorized person upon arrival and departure from the program. No student will be admitted to or released from the program unless he or she is accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or a pre-designated person over the age of 16. Extended Day will not release a child to anyone who is under the age of 16 or cannot or will not present valid photo identification. Identification must be shown whenever a student is picked up by someone unfamiliar to the staff.
For your child’s safety, he or she must be accompanied into the Extended Day Room by an adult. If they come in unsupervised, they will not be allowed to attend the program. Rainy days are no exceptions. Students will not be released to ride their bikes home, walk home, or ride the bus.
If your child attends an on-campus after-school activity, including tutoring, mentoring, and other school-sponsored activities, you must give Extended Day written permission in advance of the event. Multiple dates may be authorized in a single letter, but the letter must include dates, times, responsible parties, and the location of the event. Extended Day will not release children to activities for which we do not have advance permission from a parent or guardian.
LATE PICK-UP
The Extended Day Program ends at 6:30 p.m. each day. After 6:30 p.m., a late charge of $1 per minute will be assessed. After the second occurrence, the charge will increase to $5 per child, per minute. Late pick-up fees are due within one business day of the incident. If fees remain unpaid after one business day, your child will not be allowed to attend Extended Day until your account is paid in full. Upon the fourth incident, your child may be dismissed from the program. Dismissal may occur prior to the fourth occurrence under the circumstances described below.
Lateness in excess of 20 minutes may result in dismissal after the second occurrence.
If it is after 7 p.m. and Extended Day is unable to reach a parent or alternate contact, or if the child’s emergency/registration card does not include an alternate person who is available to retrieve the child, the District Police Department will be contacted. Parents who pick up after 7:00 p.m. and have not contacted the Site Coordinator in advance will be issued a letter of warning. If this occurs a second time, District Police will be contacted and the child will be immediately dismissed from the program. In any case involving District Police, the District Police may, at their discretion, involve the local police, sheriff, or other authorities.
Late pick-up history will remain on the record until the start of the following school year. Keep this in mind if your child is enrolled in the Summer Program. A child may not automatically re-enroll in a campus with a waiting list. You may enter the waiting list upon dismissal.
BEHAVIOR
Good behavior on the part of each child is essential to the success of the Program and the happiness, safety, and well-being of all Extended Day students. The Extended Day Program subscribes to the District’s Code of Conduct (SCC) and the accompanying Discipline Management Plan. Extended Day will follow the District’s discipline policy with respect to defining and categorizing infractions. Further, Extended Day will follow the District’s defined discipline course to the extent that the recommended consequences are viable in the Extended Day environment. In the event that we are unable to enforce the consequences recommended by the district, Extended Day will determine a reasonable and appropriate alternative course of action.
Students who are unable to follow District, school, and Extended Day rules will be disciplined in accordance with the severity of the offense and the options available to Extended Day, up to and including dismissal from the Program. Parents will be notified of any discipline issues with their children, and will be advised of consequences that will result if the behavior recurs.
Students who exhibit violent behavior or other behavior that leads to injury of other students or staff will be removed from the program. Students who possess or display a weapon at Extended Day will be dismissed. Students shall not vandalize or otherwise damage or deface any property, including furniture and other equipment, belonging to or rented by the school district. Parents, guardians, or students guilty of damaging property, whether it belongs to the school district, community, or private citizen, shall be liable for damages in accordance with the law. Failure to make restitution will lead to dismissal from the program.
If the Extended Day Program decides on dismissal as an appropriate course of disciplinary action, the school principal will be apprised of the situation.
The Extended Day Program will not enforce consequences imposed by parents or school staff for infractions committed at school or at home.
In general, records and consequences of disciplinary action will carry through the Summer Program and be refreshed at the start of the following school year. However, children who have been dismissed from the Program will not be allowed to return for one full calendar year, and children who have been dismissed twice will not be allowed to return. Parents seeking to re-enroll a child who has been dismissed are subject to standard space and waiting list requirements.
PARENT BEHAVIOR
It is important to the achievement of our goals that staff and parents work cooperatively. Parents are welcome to address any issues or concerns directly with their Site Coordinator or by calling the Extended Day office. We understand that your children are your highest priority, and that issues that affect them can elicit strong emotions. However, parents are not permitted to bully or harass staff or students in person, via telephone or email, or in any other manner. Any threat of physical violence toward a child, staff member or another parent, explicit or implied, will be reported to police and will result in the child’s dismissal. While we welcome open discussion regarding any concerns about our program, respectful speech and behavior is expected.
Parents may not have contact with other students without permission from the Site Coordinator. Under no circumstances may a parent discipline, interrogate, or reprimand someone else’s child. Parents who fail to follow procedures and policies, interfere with the program’s normal operation, or impede the staff in the completion of their normal tasks may have their child dismissed from the program.
We will not discuss or attempt to mitigate issues between parents or guardians—custodial or otherwise.
If a parent’s designated alternate pick-up person or emergency contact fails to comply with the Program’s rules, the parent may be asked to designate another person or withdraw from the program.
FIELD TRIPS
Permission forms must be signed in order for your student to attend a field trip. Your student will not be allowed to attend without proper signatures. If your child will not be attending a field trip, you will need to make other arrangements for his or her care on that day. No staff will remain at Extended Day on field trip days. Buses leave promptly at scheduled departure times, so please be sure your student is at Extended Day 30 minutes prior to departure time.
Field trips take us to a variety of new and different locations. Therefore, in the interest of safety and order, exemplary behavior is required and expected of every child in attendance. If a child engages in any disruptive or otherwise problematic behavior, the parent will be notified and the student will not be allowed to attend the next field trip. If a pre-existing disciplinary or behavioral issue can reasonably be expected to pose a risk on a field trip, the child in question may not be allowed to attend.
For safety reasons, each child is required to wear a Program t-shirt on field trips. The first shirt will be provided by the Program. Parents may purchase additional or replacement shirts for $6.00.
HOMEWORK
Homework is important and quiet time will be provided for the students. Kindergarten, first and second graders should have 30-45 minutes of homework. Third, fourth, fifth, and, where applicable, sixth graders should have 45-60 minutes of homework. The program will not provide quiet time beyond those limits, but if the students wish to finish, they may. We will provide direction and assistance for homework, but we cannot provide one-on-one tutoring. Each child is responsible for remembering and completing his or her own homework. EDP will not be responsible for checking a child’s homework load or confirming whether or not they have an assignment on a given day.
We will not use homework or reading as a discipline tool.
SNACK/MEALS
The Extended Day Program will provide one nutritious snack in the afternoon. In general, the Extended Day Program will not provide lunch or snacks on full service days or on early dismissal days. Parents are responsible for providing lunch and snacks for their student/students on these days. Please do not send food that needs to be heated. Occasionally, EDP will provide meals. Specifics will be provided in advance of the event.
PERSONAL BELONGINGS
The Extended Day Program will not be responsible for lost or stolen items. Please do not send toys, games, or other personal belongings with the students. Be sure to label all jackets, backpacks, and other items with your child’s name.
ILLNESS OR ACCIDENT
In the event of a serious accident, illness or injury, EDP will attempt to contact the parent or guardian. An ambulance may be called to transport a student to the nearest hospital. You will be notified immediately. A certified EDP employee will administer emergency first aid to minor cuts, scratches, and bruises. An accident report will be completed and shared with the parent upon their arrival.
In accordance with the policy cited in the District Student/Parent Handbook, Extended Day and the District are not responsible for transportation or medical costs associated with a student’s illness or injury.
MEDICATION
Whenever possible, medication should be administered at home. All medications must be listed on the emergency card, whether or not it will be administered at Extended Day. In the event of an emergency, this information is critical to determining treatment and preventing potentially harmful drug interactions.
If medication is to be administered to a child at Extended Day, and administration of that medication meets the guidelines in the District’s Student/Parent Handbook, the following conditions must be met. All medicine, prescription or non-prescription, must be hand-delivered in its original container by the parent—not the child—to the school nurse or the Extended Day Site Coordinator. Each medication must be accompanied by a written request that includes the student’s full name, name of the medication, dosage, when medication is to be given, reason it is given, date, and signature of parent or guardian. Prescription medication must be labeled by the pharmacist. The label must include the student’s name, physician’s name, name of the medication, amount of medication to be given, frequency, and the date the prescription was filled. A note from the physician must accompany medication taken for more than 15 days. There shall be no more than one medication per properly labeled container. The Site Coordinator will clear other medical needs with the Program Coordinator.
EMERGENCY CLOSING OF SCHOOLS
Students and parents should listen to local radio and television station, or visit the District website for weather closing announcements before and during school. If the school is closed, so is the Extended Day Program. If you receive notification that the school is closing for the day, Extended Day will be closed as well.
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
The Extended Day Program has developed a Crisis Management plan for each site in which steps are addressed for students and staff during a crisis situation. All of the plans are similar, yet each addresses conditions specific to the school for which it was written. Emergency plans concerning lockdowns, evacuations, and fire drills are included along with pertinent phone numbers and the process of notification. Each plan has been approved by our parent Crisis Management Committee. These plans are available for review upon request. In the event of an emergency, please call 281-634-4220 for information regarding a specific site.
HOLIDAYS
Extended Day will be closed on some holidays and will provide all-day service on certain other holidays and early dismissal days. A schedule will be posted at your Extended Day site.
All campuses may not be open during the holiday breaks, but arrangements may be made to provide for your student at a nearby school. Therefore, we will ask you to sign up for care in advance of the holidays so we will know how many students will be attending and can communicate clearly with you about our plans.
VOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL OR TRANSFER
If you leave the program for any reason, you will relinquish your child’s space in the program. If you choose to enter the program again in the future, your child’s name will be placed on a waiting list if one exists at your campus.
You may transfer from one Extended Day Program to another within the district at no additional charge and with no interruption in service after notifying your current Site Coordinator.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
Fort Bend ISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, or disability in providing education services, activities, and programs, including vocational programs, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. FBISD will take steps to assure that lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in all educational and vocational programs. For information about your rights or grievance procedures, contact the Title IX Coordinator and/or the Section 504 Coordinator at P.O. Box 1004, Sugar Land, Texas 77487-1004, 281-634-1000.
COMMENTS
The Extended Day Program welcomes your comments and suggestions. Please email us at extendedday@fortbendisd.com, call our office at 281-634-4220 to speak with an Area Supervisor, or contact your site’s Parent Advisory Board Member.
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
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