General Information for New Families

Information for new families i.e., School colors, supply lists, supervision, advisories and communication.

School Colors & Mascot

Green and white are the primary school colors, and the Crusader is the school mascot.

Middle School Supply Lists

http://bishopgorman.net/parents/supplylists/

Student Safety

In order to ensure that students are safe they should be supervised at all times.

• Before School: The school provides supervision before school beginning at 7:30 a.m.
• After School: There is supervision after school until 3:40 p.m. Supervision is provided in Extended Day from 3:40 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.
• Students should be supervised by an adult at all extra-curricular events.

Advisories

Students are assigned to an advisory teacher at his/her grade level. This ensures that each student becomes familiar with one of his/her teachers and vice-versa. These advisories meet periodically during the week to develop identity and community as well as set goals and discuss issues.

Teaming

Advisory teachers have time together each week to meet with students, parents and each other. It is during these meetings that the challenges students encounter are identified and where the student receives much of the support necessary for success.

Flexible Scheduling

Gorman operates on a block schedule in which classes meet every other day. These daily schedules are identified as Green and White days. Check the school calendar to know which days are Green and which are White. Your child will have three or four of their classes on White days and the other classes on Green days.

These days are designated on the calendar you will receive at the beginning of the year. Green and White day designations never change, even in the event the school closes due to inclement weather.

Communication

Communication is an essential component of your child's success. We facilitate this through several avenues including student/parent/teacher conferences, email, telephone.  All teachers' email addresses are available on the website's Staff Directory .

Regular communications include:

• The Daily Notice: Available on the Gorman website
• Principal's Letter to Parents - mailed home quarterly

• Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences are held in the fall and spring. Students are encouraged to attend these conferences.
• Open House is held each year in August. At this time you will follow your child's schedule and meet your child's teacher. This is not an occasion to conference with the teacher but a good time to schedule such a conference. Check the calendar or newsletter for the date of this year's conference.
• Email any faculty/staff member through the contact section. There is a grade level mailing address at the bottom of the list with all teachers in that grade level. i.e., to email all 8th grade teachers select the 8th grade teachers link at the bottom of the list.

Homework

Homework is assigned every night. If the student does not have written homework then their homework is to study. Homework is preparation for the classes and is an essential component of academic success.

• Excessive Homework - If a student is unable to complete an assignment in a reasonable amount of time, please contact the teacher.
• No homework - If a child does not seem to have any homework, please contact the Middle School Coordinator or the Principal.

Planners

Planners will be provided to your child. Homework should be recorded in that planner each day for each class. You should check to see that this is being done. At the beginning of the year teachers will check to make sure that each student is writing down assignments. Regular checks of planners will continue all year during advisory.

Lost planners can be replaced at a cost of $5.

Academic Support

There are several provisions for academic support. Should your child be diagnosed with a learning challenge or otherwise recommended by the grade level advisory team, he/she may take advantage of the Gorman Learning Center (GLC). For more information about this, contact Ms. Michelle Nemec at school. There is a study hall advisory this year for students missing assignments, failures, or otherwise assigned by a teacher. After school, there is a tutorial available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:15 to 4:00 p.m. All of these services are offered at no charge during the year.

Dress Code

Uniforms are available through Sue Mills at http://millswear.com or 1-800-541-1850. The store is located at 5955 Alpha Road, Suite 102, Dallas, TX (off Preston Road by Valleyview Mall). Uniform requirements are available on-line or at the school office.

Attendance

Absences

When a student is absent

• Call school between 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
• Ask for homework.

Family Trips

It should be noted that their really is no way to make up many missed days since a teacher cannot replicate class discussion. Family trips should not be planned during school. In the event that this cannot be avoided, send a letter to the Principal, Mr. Franz, requesting the absence.

Doctor's Appointments

Try not to schedule appointments during the school day. When it is necessary to schedule appointments during the school day, send students to the office with a note before school. Students will be given a corridor pass indicating the time for the teacher to dismiss the student for the appointment. The parent must meet the student in the office and sign the student out.

School Hours

School hours are 8:20 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. (3:15 for 6th Grade) The building is open at 7:15 a.m. but there is no supervision before 7:30 a.m. Any middle school student left on campus after 3:45 p.m. who is not involved in supervised after school activities must be in Extended Care. There is no other supervision after this time.

Tardies

Students should be in class by 8:15 a.m.

• Students arriving after the bell must report to the office to get a pass which will enable them to enter class.
• Parents should accompany students into the building if late.

Arrival

Middle school students must report to the Middle School Gym when they arrive on campus. There they may get a pass to go to the library, the computer lab or to see a teacher. They may also then go to the cafeteria for breakfast. Students may not go to their lockers or the band hall until the bell rings at 7:50 a.m. HS students can study in the library or eat breakfast in the cafeteria.

Dismissal

At the beginning of the year, 6th Grade students are dismissed at 3:10 p.m. Please park in the Middle School Parking lot to wait for your child. It is not advisable to get into the line which forms adjacent to the sidewalk next to the Middle School gym. This not only delays the dismissal process, but it forms a serious traffic hazard on the Loop when cars are unable to enter the parking lot.

All middle school students must be picked up by 3:40 p.m.

Extended Care

After school care is offered through our Extended Day program. There is no charge for this program until 4:00 p.m. The service is offered until 5:30 p.m.

Library

The library is open before school at 7:30 a.m. and after school until 4:00 p.m. Students may check out books and take AR tests during this time.

Breakfast/Lunch
 

• Breakfast is available every day from 7:30 to 7:50 a.m.. It is catered by TCSS Café operated by the Priest family. Sausage biscuits, toast, and a daily special are offered. Students may go to breakfast after they have checked into the Middle School Gym.
• Lunch is available every day. It is also catered by TCSS Café. There are daily specials as well as grilled cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, baked potatoes, and salads available each day.
• Families may set up an account for a child by writing TCSS Café a check. The cost of the meals will be deducted from that amount. Otherwise, students must pay daily for their purchases.

Cafe Prepay

Parents may pay for their student's lunches online with Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.

• Log onto www.cafeprepay.com
• Click on new user
• Set up account and password
• Click on TK Gorman as your school
• Enter your student's information
• Enter credit card information
• E-mail will be sent to TCSS Café each morning with the payment amounts.
• Allow 24 hours to process
• $3 processing fee will be added to each transaction

Please e-mail questions to nwpriest@suddenlink.net or cafeprepay@barrsecurity.com

Lockers

All students are assigned one locker for personal use and possibly a shared locker for their coats, empty book bags and or gym clothes.

• No locks are used.
• Bookbags must be able to fit in the locker. Gym bags do not fit in the lockers. They should be taken to the locker room lockers before school.

Cell Phone/Pagers

Students who have these devices must never use them or have them visible during the school day.

Phone Use

Students may ask to use the phone available in the office, on the counter in the HS entrance or MS students may ask the Middle School Director to use the phone for an emergency.

Use of the phone should be infrequent.

Bad Weather Days

To learn about school closing due to inclement weather tune into KLTV or KETK or go to the school website or answering machine.