Resources for Families
Dodd City Elementary School Information
Principal
Elementary Secretary
Counselor
Our School Day
7:15 - Cafeteria opens. Elementary students arriving before 7:30 should go directly to the cafeteria. Students will be walked to class beginning at 7:30.
(JH/HS students may eat breakfast or wait in the west gym for the bell to ring.)
7:30 - Classrooms open. Elementary students arriving at 7:30 or after may go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast, or go directly to their classroom.
7:50 - Tardy Bell Rings
3:28 - Dismissal
- Elementary - Car Circle
- JH/HS - North door between JH and HS.
**If you have a student on both campuses, please pick up elementary first and then drive around to pick up JH/HS students. JH/HS students are not allowed to meet parents at the car circle. Thank you for your cooperation.
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
Because your child's safety is important to us, we have developed these guidelines for drop-off and pick-up.
Morning:
You may drop your elementary student off in the car circle or walk your child to their classroom.
If walking in:
- Park in the parking lot and use the crosswalk. Do not park in the circle drive.
- Please remember that this is a busy time. Please schedule a conference should you need to speak to your child's teacher other than a quick greeting.
If dropping off:
- Please do not exit your vehicle for any reason.
- Please pull forward as far as possible to allow for multiple vehicles to unload at once.
- Please allow all students, elementary and JH/HS, to exit your vehicle at once to avoid making multiple stops in the car circle.
- Please keep the line moving!
Afternoon Pick UP:
- Please pull as far forward as possible in the car circle to allow us to load as many students as we can at one time. If you pass your student's class, we will direct them to walk forward to meet your car.
- Please do not drive around or skip others in the car line.
- If you are walking up to pick up your child, please use the crosswalk ONLY. You will be stopped if attempting to cross the car circle on foot. DO NOT walk between cars.
- If walking up, please wait on the sidewalk next to the building. Your child's teacher will allow your child to come to you when their class exits the building. Please do not approach the benches in the circle drive.
Tardy Bell
- Students are tardy if not in their classrooms at 7:50.
- Instruction begins promptly at 7:50! We don't have a minute to waste!
- Do not drop off students who are tardy in the car circle. Please park and walk them into the building.
- Parent's will not be allowed to walk students to class after 7:50.
- After 3 tardies, a note will be sent home.
- A parent conference will be requested after 6 tardies.
Attendance and Absences
- We must have a signed note to excuse any absence.
- If a pattern of absences develops, documentation will be kept, and truancy proceedings may begin.
- State law governs the number of absences required in order to receive credit for the school year. Please refer to the student handbook for more information.
Leaving Early
- Please call the office in advance if your child must leave school early. Buzz in at the front door when you arrive. We will bring your child to the office, and you may sign them out.
- We understand that there are times when necessary appointments must be made during the school day, but we ask that these be made as late in the day as possible and kept at a minimum.
- Our teachers plan instruction from bell to bell, and we believe that learning occurs best when experienced face to face. Make-up work cannot replace face to face instruction.
- A note will be sent home, or a conference requested, should a pattern of leaving early develop.
Transportation Changes
- Call the office by 2:30 if at all possible to make end-of-day transportation changes.
- Do not message (email, seesaw, text) your child's teacher with a transportation change.
- Call the front office only. Teachers are not able to regularly check or respond to texts or emails during the school day as they are conducting classes.
Changes to Registration Information
Please contact the front office immediately should the following change:
- phone number
- address
- emergency contact list
- custody arrangements (must have legal documentation on file with the principal).
Dress Code
The Dodd City ISD student dress code is found in the Student Handbook found online at www.doddcityisd,net. Each parent/guardian is expected to read it carefully.
Pay particular attention to:
- the length of shorts (credit card width above the knee)
- length of skirts (must reach the knee)
- length of shirts (no skin showing when arms held perpendicular to body)
- leggings, tights (no leggings or tights without covering that otherwise meets dress code)
- holes in jeans (no holes above the knee that show skin) Ironed on or sewn on patches or leggings worn underneath are OK if not flesh colored.
Transfer Students
We consider it a privilege to attend Dodd City ISD. Students living outside of our district must meet or exceed the high standards we expect of a Dodd City Hornet.
Transfer students must reapply every year. Applications will be reviewed on the following basis:
- attendance (95%)
- academics (passing all core classes and standardized tests)
- behavior (no major behavior issues)
Transfer status may be revoked at anytime during the school year if students fail to meet standards in attendance, academics, or behavior.
Medication at School
The school cannot administer any kind of medication without parent/guardian permission.
- Bring medication to the front office in it's original container.
- Complete forms giving the school permission to administer medication.
- Students are not allowed to have possession of ANY medication (OTC, prescription, ointment, etc.) at school.
Awards
A Hornet Pride Rally is held at the end of each grading period. The following awards are normally given:
- Reading Achievement
- Super Scientist
- Mighty Mathematician
- Dodd City Way
- Super Stinger
- Perfect Attendance
- Jumping for George
Additional awards may be given depending upon the time of year, special circumstances, etc.
Progress Reports/Report Cards
Progress Reports are sent home following approximately four weeks of instruction.
- Progress reports must be signed and returned to school if your child has an average grade of 75 or below in any subject.
Report Cards will be sent home following each nine-week grading period.
- Report cards must be signed and returned to school of your child has an average grade of 75 or below in any subject.
In addition, a weekly progress report shall be sent home for any student with an average of 75 or below in any subject.
Special School Events
Look for information about the following fun events! We will be reaching out for volunteers for many of these. The more, the merrier!
- PTO Meetings/events
- Career Day
- Fall Festival
- Meet the Author
- Fire Prevention Programs
- Kindergarten Elegant Party
- Thanksgiving Feast
- Scholastic Book Fairs
- Basketball Tournament
- Santa Store
- Christmas Parties
- Hornet Pride Rallies
- UIL Competition (2-6)
- Sky Ranch Science Camp (5th)
- Field Day
- Teacher Appreciation
- Kindergarten Graduation
Visitors
Please visit the office for a visitor's badge.
You must have your driver's license in order to receive a visitor's badge.
We reserve a table in our cafeteria for family members who wish to eat lunch with their child.
Cafeteria
Cost for breakfast is $1.25.
Cost for lunch is $2.50.
Accounts can be managed and paid with the MySchoolBucks App. Click to Register. With the app you can:
- track purchases
- put money on account
- set up automatic payments
- get notifications of low balances
Payment can also be made in the cafeteria, to your child's teacher, or in the front office.
Students should maintain a positive balance on their cafeteria account. If their account is negative, notice will be sent home.
Please fill out a free/reduced lunch form if you feel you may qualify.
Sharing food between students is not allowed.
Take-out food:
- If you would like to bring take-out food for your child, please plan to stay and eat with them at the reserved table. (Please check in at the office for a visitor's badge before entering the cafeteria.)
- Any student eating take-out food for lunch will be required to sit at the reserved table.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter as these decisions are made for the safety and consideration of ALL students.
Celebrations
Birthdays
- We welcome birthday celebrations at school. To protect instructional time, we request that these take place right after the student's lunch time, at the picnic tables on "The Porch".
- Please notify your child's teacher in advance.
- Any items brought for celebrations should be brought to the front office to be delivered to the student's classroom at the appropriate time.
Holidays
Classroom teachers will plan parties for Christmas and Valentine's Day. Look for more information on dates, details, and times to be sent home by your child's teacher.
After-School Care
After-school care is provided for students in grades PK-5. The cost is $5.00 per day, per child.
All students must be picked up by 5:45. A late fee of $1 per minute, per child will be assessed for late pick-ups. A good phone number must be on file before any student can stay in after school care.
Pick-up is through the playground gate to the door marked "Day Care". Each student must be signed out with the daycare attendant.
Payment should be made in advance or by the day at pick-up.
Your child will not be allowed to attend after-school care should balances reach $100.
Behavior expectations during after-school care are high. Only students who make positive behavior choices will be allowed to attend after-school care.
Electronics (phones, tablets, etc.) and toys from home are not allowed in after-school care.
Academics and Instruction
Dodd City ISD provides an educational opportunity unmatched by any surrounding school. Our teachers diligently prepare thoughtful, engaging, and research-based instruction daily.
Please encourage your child to come to school ready to learn each day. Some things you can do to help your child are:
- read with your child every day
- check the backpack every day
- return all forms, letters, etc. the next day
- reach out to teachers with questions or concerns about any school-related matter
- make sure your child gets enough rest every night
Assessments
In addition to classroom tests, students at Dodd City also participate in the following assessments:
- Interim Testing-3rd-5th Grade (Reading & Math 2 times per year) (5th Science, 1 time per year)
- CLI Engage - PreK - Beginning and end of year in reading, math, social/emotional health.
- TxKEA - Kindergarten - Beginning of the year, kindergarten readiness
- STAR Reading and STAR Math - 1-5 - Every few weeks for progress monitoring
- Dyslexia Screening - Kindergarten - end of year
- Dyslexia Screening - 1st & 2nd grade - before January 1st each year
- STAAR - 3-5 - Reading, Math, and Science - Spring
- Exact Path Diagnostics Testing - 3 times per year
Hornet Pride Folders
HP folders will come home each Tuesday. This folder is where you will find notes, graded papers, report cards, progress reports, etc. It should be signed and returned the following day.
Bringing Items from Home (i.e. Toys)
Please do not allow your child to bring toys or other items that are not necessary to the school day to school. This includes toys, phones, electronics, games, etc.
- We do not provide space to store items.
- We do not provide time to retrieve and put them away.
- We cannot be responsible if items are lost are stolen.
- Toys cause distractions from instruction.
- Items may be confiscated if issues occur.
Thank you for trusting us with your children and working with us to provide the best education possible! Please reach out with any questions or concerns you may have.