For Parents/Guardians

Safety reminder

Drivers may not make a left-hand turn to enter the school campus via Garden Springs Drive between 7:00 and 7:45 a.m. or 2:15 to 3 p.m.

Attendance

Please inform the school if your child will be absent. Call 422-0012 between 7:15 and 8 a.m. the morning of your child's absence. If no one answers, please leave a message.  If your child is absent and we have not heard from you, you will receive an automated phone call from FCPS stating that your child is absent. If this is an error, please call the school.

All students are expected to attend school regularly. Students who are absent must have a legitimate excuse. Within three days of a student's return to school, the child should present a note signed by a parent/guardian. Even if you call to inform the school of your child's absence, you must still send in a note within three days. 

Absences without a note are unexcused, and the child may not make up the missed work for credit.  

Excused absences

So what counts for an excused absence or tardy?

• Death of immediate family member
• Student illness -- Families may submit a total of 10 notes per school year. After 10 cumulative absences, students must present a written statement from a medical professional for each additional absence in order to be excused.
• Religious holidays and practices
• Medical and dental appointments
• Family emergencies -- limited to three per school year, as approved by the principal

Note: Family vacations and trips are not excused absences unless you complete the Education Enhancement process and are pre-approved. 

Arrival and dismissal

Class instruction begins at 7:45 a.m. for all students. The bell rings to indicate class has started. Please make sure your child has time to reach his class before 7:45. The earliest your child can enter the building is 7:15 a.m.  Be sure your child is on time for school.  Students who are tardy must check in through the front office, and parents are required to sign them in at the office.

Students will be counted tardy if they arrive at school after the 7:45 a.m. school bell. If your child leaves before 2:35 p.m., it will be an early checkout and will also affect your child's attendance.  An explanation of excused tardies and early dismissals can be found in Section XV of the Student Code of Conduct.  Reasons other than the ones listed will be considered unexcused.  Please help us by having your child at school on time and not picking children up before 2:35 p.m. unless it is absolutely necessary.

Dismissal is at 2:35 p.m. If your child is a walker, they will be dismissed after the buses. Car riders will be dismissed in the rear of the building after bus riders.  If you wish to walk home with your child, please wait for your child across the street. If your child has an appointment, please check  your child(ren) out before 2:15 p.m. so that we are able to dismiss and monitor the safety of all students. Students are not allowed to be left at school later than 2:45 p.m.

Buses

• Bus Stop Finder

Transportation

If your child will be going home a different way, please send a written note to the office or email Jencia Haggard, Glenda Evans, and your child's teacher no later than 1:00 p.m.  Please call the office at 859-422-0012 and verify that the email was received fi you do not get a response.  

• Glenda Evans - attendance clerk/registrar
• Jenica Haggard - bookkeeper

 

School Site Locator - click here to enter your address to determine your school zone.

 

Cafeteria

 

Garden Springs Elementary qualifies to be a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school which allows all students to receive meals (breakfast and lunch) at no charge. 

Garden Springs offers a breakfast starting at 7:15 a.m.  Students who arrive in the cafeteria after 7:35 a.m. will get a grab and go breakfast to eat in their classroom to ensure they are in the class by 7:45 a.m. for the start of the school day.  

A hot lunch will be served each day in the cafeteria.  A directive from the FCPS Child Nutrition Department requests that fast food lunches such as McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, etc., not be brought to students as it causes disruption and equity concerns with the other students.  We also do not allow soft drinks in the cafeteria.

Students have a lunch number for use when going through he lunch line.

 If you have questions regarding the lunch policy, you may contact the cafeteria manager, Jody James.

• School menus
   

ClassDojo

Be sure to register a parent/guardian account for ClassDojo so you can stay in the loop! Message your child's teacher, check what is going on in class, keep track of your child's behavior points, see the homework for the night -- all of this and more can be seen on ClassDojo.

Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences should be scheduled in advance after school, before school, during a teacher's planning time, or on designated conference days.  Teachers will not be available for conferences while classes are in session unless it is scheduled during their planning period.

Medicine

We cannot give out over-the-counter medicine to students. Also, in order to give your child medicine, we must have the correct forms filled out and the doctor's prescription on file. If you need these forms, please ask the school nurse.