School Visitation/Conferences
All visitors to any school campus must enter through the front doors and check in at the office first before proceeding to other areas of the school campus. All visitors should obtain a visitor's badge. Visitors must sign-in and submit a valid photo ID (driver's license or other state-issued photo ID). ID's will be returned to the visitor upon his/her check-out from the school office.
Tate County Schools does not allow ANY video or audio recordings without permission of the building level administration.
We request that visitors leave cellular phones in their car.
Parents and school patrons are encouraged to visit the schools; however, such visitation must be appropriate and properly scheduled. Due to the principal's role as instructional leader, he/she will not be available for at-will conferences. Please make an appointment prior to your visit by calling the school's office.
Teachers are allocated time to meet with parents. Parents should contact the school's office if they desire a conference with a teacher. When a parent is contacted for a conference pertaining to academic or discipline concerns, it is the parent's responsibility to attend the conference in order to benefit the child's progress.
Please see the Tate County School District Parent/Student Handbook for more information on visitation/conferences.
Attendance
When a student returns from an absence of one or more days, he/she should submit a written excuse from his/her parent or guardian to the school's office within 2 days of the absence stating the reason for the absence, the dates(s), and the student's name in order to receive an excused absence.
A medical excuse will be required after 5 parents notes per semester. A medical doctor's excuse which covers multiple days is considered "1 excuse." Any absence exceeding three consecutive days will require a medical excuse to be considered excused, even if the allotted five parent notes have not been exceeded.
Please see the Tate County School District Parent/Student Handbook for more information on student absences.
Tardies
Excuses for Tardies- doctor appointment, funeral, dentist appointment, orthodontist appointment, hospitalization, illness of immediate family member, court appointment, quarantine, school-related functions. This is not an all-inclusive list.
Parents of students in grades K-6 must come into office and sign student in and present excuse. Five (5) parent written notes per school year can be accepted for emergency situations for tardies to school. Written documentation for each tardy to school must be presented to the school office.
Please see the Tate County School District Parent/Student Handbook for more information on student tardies.
Dress Code
Proper attire is to be worn by all students during all school events to foster the best environment for learning during all school events.
Violations of the Student Dress Code may result in Class II Disciplinary Action.
NOTE: If a question arises about the Student Dress Code, it will be left to the discretion of the school administrator or his/her designee.
Please see the Tate County School District Parent/Student Handbook and/or click on the Dress Code Tab for more information on student dress code.
School Medicines
The School Board acknowledges that in order to attend school certain students must adhere to medical regiments that treat illnesses and disabilities. This treatment may require the administration of medication to the student during school hours. The Tate County School District shall permit students to use medication at school only under the contingency set forth in School Board Policy JGCD.
Students will be allowed to possess and self-administer asthma and anaphylaxis medication set forth by law. (MS Code 41-79-31 and TCSD Policy JGCD. Parents/guardians will be required to sign a letter each year that they have read this law. Please contact the school office if there is a need for your child to receive medication at school.
Please see the Tate County School District Parent/Student Handbook for more information on student health and medication policies.
Inclement Weather
When bad weather threatens, all schools are equipped with either a weather-band radio or the weather channel on television, or Internet which the administration monitors constantly. During a tornado warning, all children are brought into the main building and arranged in the most secure manner possible. Experience tells us that more often than not, we are faced with big decisions concerning weather at dismissal time. For this reason, we want you to be fully aware of the basic guidelines we follow when bad weather occurs.
Tornado Warning:
- Buses and car drivers are not dismissed, and students are secured in the main buildings.
- Car riders are dismissed to their parents who wish to check them out through the office; however, we discourage this practice.
Snow and Ice Conditions:
- This type of weather creates an entirely different problem because of its unpredictable nature. Since lost days must be made up, our basic philosophy is that we have school unless or until conditions (ex. icy roads, downed power lines) dictate otherwise.
In the event of bad weather, the decision to cancel classes will be made by the Superintendent of Education and relayed to the parents by the district's Emergency Calling System and television stations.
Please see the Tate County School District Parent/Student Handbook for more information on inclement weather policies.
Bullying
Please see the Tate County School District Parent/Student Handbook or the Bullying or Harassing Behavior Tab for information on this topic.