The Tupelo Public School District serves the community by engaging each
student in an excellent education that develops skills and citizenship
needed for success in a global society.
1. Increase student achievement across the district.
2. Provide a safe, secure and orderly environment in all schools.
3. Attract and retain all stakeholders.
4. Maintain Sound financial stability.
Arrival/Departure Times & Procedures
Arrival:
The gym opens at 7:30 AM. Only children of TPSD employees may be dropped off starting at 7:05 AM at the front of the school. The first bell rings at 7:45 AM. with classes beginning at 8:00 AM. If you bring your child to school, ensure he/she arrives no earlier than 7:30 AM. Students may not leave the car to enter the building until the 7:30 a.m. bell rings, notifying the start of the school day.
Dismissal:
School dismissal is at 2:50 p.m.. If a child needs to be dismissed early from school, the parent MUST come to the school office to sign out the child. No early checkouts after 2:30 p.m. and no daily early checkouts will be allowed. The school can only release a child to his/her parent, legal guardian, or to a specific person who has permission to pick up the child and is identified in writing by the parent or legal guardian. Please include these persons and their contacts on your student’s emergency card.
STUDENT CHECK-IN:
The front doors of the school will be shut and locked at 8:00 a.m. Any student arriving after 8:00 a.m. will need their parent to accompany them into the building to sign their child into school. Students are not allowed to sign themselves into school. This same procedure will be used for students who check into school late throughout the school day.
STUDENT CHECKOUT:
For safety reasons, we will not dismiss your child via telephone requests. Any change in how your child normally goes home will need to be made in writing. Without written notification your child will be dismissed to their usual afternoon destination. Additionally, students may not check out after 2:45 as this disrupts the learning environment. *All checkouts must occur before 2:45 p.m. each afternoon.
Tardy:
Any student not in his/her homeroom at 8:00 AM is considered tardy (exception: no student is tardy if riding a Tupelo Public School bus, which is late). Parents MUST bring students through the front door and receive a tardy slip from the secretary if arrival is after 8:00 a.m.
Transportation Changes:
If you wish to change your child’s standard procedure to go home, we ask that you inform the school by phone on the change date no later than 2:15 PM.
Bus Riders:
District guidelines prevent us from allowing your child to ride a different bus other than the one assigned. If you wish for your child not to ride the bus, a note must be sent to the teacher or the office called for a change in transportation.
Car Riders:
If you want your child to ride a car other than the one he/she usually rides, please call the office and include the following:
. the date
. the first and last name of the student
-. the name of the person with whom the child will ride
Daycare:
Students will not be allowed to change their way of transportation without a phone call from the parent.
Transportation changes should be called into the office. (662)841-8950
Change of Address or Telephone:
Please inform, in writing the homeroom teacher any changes of address or phone numbers. You may also contact the counselor to notify them of any changes.
Traffic Plan:
The traffic plan aims to ensure students' safety and provide for efficient and expedient traffic flow.
Exchange Street
Exchange Street is a one-way street from 7:30-8:30 a.m., and 2:30-3:30 a.m. Exchange Street is the drop-off and pick-up location for daycare vans and buses. Exchange Street is closed to car traffic from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and 2:30-3:30 a.m.
Forrest Street
Forrest Street is a one-way street from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and 2:30-3:30 p.m. Forrest Street is the drop-off and pick-up location for student car riders.
Morning Drop-Off for Car Riders
Prepare belongings (backpacks, lunches, etc.) to expedite drop-off. Breakfast is served until 8:00 a.m.
Parents must remain in the car and may not walk students to the building from Forrest St. Unload students to the right side of the car only.
Proceed on Forrest Street to Lumpkin or Douglas Streets.
After 8:00 am, parents must send tardy students to the office to sign in and receive a tardy slip before class. Tardy students disrupt the instructional process and get behind in their classwork. Please make every effort to arrive on time.
Morning Drop-Off for Bus and Day Care Riders
Drop off location is on Exchange Street at the awning between the back of the gym and the third-grade building.
Rankin Staff will be on duty to assist students.
After unloading, students will go to the café for breakfast or report directly to the gym until 7:30 a.m., when they are dismissed to classrooms.
Afternoon Pick-Up for Car Riders
Pull cars down to where staff is standing or to an area designated by the traffic cone. Students will be in the cafeteria and called to go to cones/cars.
Students should be picked up by 3:30 p.m.
Afternoon Pick-Up for Bus Riders
Students will assemble in their grade-level hallways and be dismissed to the gym. Students will exit to Exchange Street.
No cars are allowed on Exchange Street during pick-up hours.
Afternoon Pick-Up for Day Care Riders
Students will assemble in the 3rd-grade hallway and be dismissed when buses & vans arrive.
AED Procedures:
The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) machine is located in the main office. AED drills will be conducted throughout the school term. Upon an emergency, qualified staff will be prepared to respond effectively.
Evacuation Drills:
Several scheduled evacuation drills will be held throughout the school year. Teachers and students will evacuate the building as prescribed by the Rankin Elementary School Crisis Management Plan, which is posted throughout the building. These instructions are clearly posted in each classroom and will be discussed with your child. All students should remember these basic rules:
1. No talking.
2. WALK in a straight line.
3. Follow the instructions given by your teacher.
Students will return to classrooms after the all-clear signal is given.
Fire Drills:
Fire drills are conducted monthly. Upon hearing the fire announcement, teachers and students will immediately exit the building to the designated area, where students will remain quiet until the
all-clear signal is given.
Tornado Drills:
Several tornado drills will be conducted throughout the school term. Upon hearing the tornado announcement, teachers and students will immediately go to an interior hallway where students will sit quietly until the all-clear signal is given.
Relocation of Students:
In the event that students and staff need to move to another location, all students will be escorted or transported to that facility or area. Students and staff will remain in the assigned area until the conditions are safe for returning to school.
Tupelo Public School District’s Inclement Weather Procedure:
● It will be our practice to always put the safety of our students and staff first in dismissing school for reasons caused by inclement weather.
● We will carefully check the conditions for transportation and make the decision to dismiss the school after we have considered all of the information available. Parental discretion is encouraged in cases regarding safety in unusual, specific situations. The final decision for a student to attend school or not during inclement weather rests with the parent.
● If inclement weather should occur during the day and it becomes necessary to close school early, the superintendent will make an announcement. His office will notify all local news media, and the radio and television stations will announce the decision for early dismissals. Please be assured that every precaution will be taken to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.
● The district sends out text alerts. Please make sure the school has your most current telephone numbers.
Visitors to the school:
To ensure student safety, all visitors to Rankin Elementary School must first contact the school office by phone at 662-841-8950. If necessary, the visitor will then enter the front door and sign in at the office. Parents and guardians must sign in at the office to pick up students during the day. A visitor’s pass will be given to those who need to go to another part of the building; Visitors should only be in areas for which they have been authorized. Students are not to bring “all-day” visitors to the school. Classes are not to be interrupted by unscheduled visitors; therefore, parents who wish to observe their child’s classes should schedule a visit in advance through the counselor.
Classroom Visits:
Parents are encouraged to visit classroom sessions during the year. Visits usually should not exceed a thirty-minute period of time. Administrators or counselors must schedule class visits.
Conferences must always be scheduled in advance and may be virtual, phone, or in-person conferences. The teacher is the instructional leader who is in charge of the classroom. Parents are encouraged not to conference with the teacher during the thirty-minute visit. If you want a follow-up conference, please schedule it with the counselor. As visitors, you must sign in at the main office and ask for an administrator. All visitors must check in at the office before going to any rooms.
Conferences:
Parents are strongly encouraged to communicate with their child's teachers as much as possible. A parent conference can be scheduled by contacting the counselor at 662-841-8895. We will gladly work with you to schedule conferences before, during, and after school.
Progress Reports:
Progress reports will be sent out at the end of the 4th week of each grading period. Please contact the school guidance counselor with any questions about your child’s progress. Progress reports will be issued to students on the dates indicated on the school calendar.
Report Cards:
Report cards will be issued to students on the dates indicated on the school calendar.
Textbooks/Library Books:
Textbooks are furnished by the Tupelo Public School District and the State of Mississippi. Once a textbook has been issued to a student, the student assumes full responsibility for the proper care and return of the textbook. A fine will be assessed for any misuse or abuse of a textbook, and in the event of a lost textbook, a student will pay the price of the textbook before another textbook is issued. Damage to a textbook by another person or party is the responsibility of the student to whom the textbook was issued. Lost books will be charged the cost of replacement. If a book has significant damage but is reusable, the charge will be half-price. For minor damage to a book, the charge will be $3.00. Students are also responsible for all library books issued to them during the school year. Students cannot have more than two library books checked out at a time. Payment will be expected for all lost or damaged books. If a lost book is found, a refund will be made.
Parties, Birthdays, and Deliveries:
There will be four scheduled school-wide parties (Fall, Winter, Valentine, and End-of-the-Year parties) held during the school year. These will be announced by the homeroom teacher. Cupcakes, cookies, fruit and vegetable trays, etc., for the entire homeroom class are permitted for birthdays.
Rankin encourages healthy food choices for parties. The snacks will be distributed during break or lunch and should not interfere with instructional time. Invitations to birthday celebrations should not be handed out at school. Vendor deliveries and parent deliveries of balloons, flowers, etc., will not be allowed for students.
“Health Safety Notice”
This is a notice to inform our students, staff, and parents about some very important information regarding foods being brought into the school for parties. We encourage healthy choices, such as vegetable and fruit trays. All foods must be purchased from vendors with a current food permit and an inspection posted by the County Department of Health. Foods that we are concerned about would be any items that contain: boiled eggs, mayonnaise, any milk products, rice, turkey, or any other meats, cornbread dressing, homemade casseroles, baked potatoes, and homemade dips. Desserts are not potentially hazardous and may be served with the exception of homemade puddings and any other dessert with uncooked eggs.
COUNSELING:
The guidance program at Pierce Street Elementary is committed to the individual growth and development of each student and to working with both students and parents to ensure the greatest benefit from school experiences. Teachers, administration, parents, or students themselves may refer a student in need to the counselor at any time.
SPECIAL NEEDS:
Special Education services are available at Rankin Elementary for students with special learning needs. Testing and evaluation are part of the resources provided by specialists trained in the areas of speech and language, learning disabilities, challenge and teaching the physically handicapped.
CHALLENGE PROGRAM:
The Challenge Program is provided for intellectually gifted children in grades two through six in the Tupelo Public School District. Students are screened in first grade through teacher observations, group intelligence tests, and achievement tests. In some circumstances, students are screened in higher grades. Students who are referred for testing take an individual intelligence test. The Mississippi Department of Education regulations require that all children score at or above the 91st percentile to be eligible for the Challenge Program. Students who are in the program meet for five hours each week with the Challenge teacher.
Parent-Teacher Organization:
Active parental involvement in every aspect of school life is encouraged at Rankin. The Rankin PTO is a very important support group that seeks to include all parents. If you would like to become more involved with Rankin’s PTO, please contact the office for more information at
662-841-8950.
TITLE I:
Title I is the largest federal aid program for elementary, middle, and high schools. Through Title I, the Federal government gives money to school districts around the country based on the number of at-risk students in each district. The purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair and significant opportunity to obtain a highquality education. Title I schools have a choice as to how they set up their Title I program as long as the program helps its students meet state academic standards. Title I funds at Rankin are used to:
1. Hire additional instructional staff,
2. Purchase equipment and learning materials, and
3. Support parent involvement activities. Parents-Right-To-Know
The qualifications of teachers and paraprofessionals employed in schools funded by Title I will be provided upon parent request. Title I School wide Programs are available at the Early Childhood Education Center and the eight K-5 elementary schools. For further information, please contact the principal of the school where your child attends or the Director of Federal Programs. In addition, a parent may request information on the level of achievement of the parent’s child on each state academic assessment, and/or a timely notice that the parent’s child has been assigned or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified.
FAMILY EDUCATION RIGHTS & PRIVACY ACT:
The Tupelo Public School District routinely makes public certain directory information regarding students. This directory information includes the student name, address, telephone number, picture, height and weight of athletes, extracurricular activities, awards, honor rolls, electronic listings, Internet web pages, and other information which is typically found in school yearbooks, programs, bulletins, and student newspapers. In addition, the District discloses names, addresses, and telephone numbers to military recruiters upon request. Parents and eligible students shall have from July 15 until September 1 to review this notice and request in writing to the school principal that all or any part of the directory information not be disclosed without prior written consent.
ASBESTOS NOTIFICATION:
In accordance with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) regulations established by
the EPA, all school districts are required to provide an annual notification to all parents, teachers, and
employees regarding our asbestos management program. This annual notification informs all persons of
their option to review the Asbestos Management Plan for our school district.
To provide continuing management of the asbestos in our schools, all Asbestos-Containing Materials
(ACM) are inspected every six months by an accredited asbestos inspector. Any changes to these
materials are recorded in a surveillance report as part of the management plan.
Additionally, an accredited Asbestos Management Planner conducts a comprehensive inspection of all
ACM’s every 3 years. This 3-year re-inspection has been performed as required and a copy has been
filed with the Mississippi Department of Education.
A copy of the Asbestos Management Plan is located in the principal’s office at each school. In addition,
copies of all Asbestos Management Plans for the district are maintained in the Superintendent’s office
located at 72 South Green Street. If you are interested in reviewing this information, please contact the
Central Office at 662-841-8853 to schedule an appointment.
