Belmont Central

Elementary School
Parent-Student Handbook
2023-2024

Learn. Think. Lead.

Mrs. Aimee Tolleson, Principal
Ms. Chelsea Elmore, Assistant Principal
310 Eagle Road - Belmont, NC 28012
(704) 836-9137 (phone) - (704) 825-8080 (fax)
http://gaston.k12.nc.us/belmontcentral
http://facebook.com/BelmontCentralElementary
 Welcome from Administration

Hello Belmont Central Students and Families,

Welcome to Belmont Central Elementary School! It is both an honor and a privilege to

be the principal of such an outstanding school, and we are eager to welcome your
children back for an exciting 2023-2024 school year.

Our goal at Belmont Central is to provide quality instruction in every classroom, every
day, and to engage students in learning, thinking, and leading. We hope that when
students leave our school they have a strong foundation in becoming awesome citizens!

Our work, as always, will reflect our mission statement:

Together we will provide opportunities to be role models who inspire and

facilitate the development of diverse students as 21st Century learners.

Sincerely,

Aimee Tolleson
Principal
 BCE Office Staff

Principal Aimee Tolleson [email protected]

Assistant Chelsea Elmore [email protected]

Principal

School Officer Ben Henderson [email protected]

Resource
Officer

Financial Teresa Whitesides [email protected]

Secretary/Data
Manager

Receptionist Melisa Herron [email protected]

School Meghan Arnold (grades 2-3) [email protected]

Counselors Francina Newby (grades 4-5) [email protected]

Nurse Jami Cipriani [email protected]

Social Worker Dina Young [email protected]

Cafeteria Jessie Maltba [email protected]

Manager

About BCE

School Hours 7:30 - 2:15

● Bus Rider/Walker Dismissal - 2:10
● Car Rider Dismissal - Begins at 2:15

Enrollment 700

Vision Our students will be lifelong learners, critical thinkers,

and responsible leaders in a global society.

Mission Together we will provide opportunities to be role models

who inspire and facilitate the development of diverse
students as 21st century learners.

Colors Red and White

Mascot Eagle
 Communication Efforts

Parent Conferences Parent Conference Days are currently scheduled for October 12th
and March 7th. More information will be coming about procedures
for Parent Conference Days. Throughout the school year, parents can
schedule a conference with a teacher as necessary to discuss
academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs.

PowerSchool The Power School Parent Module provides students and parents a
secure website to access grades and attendance. For information or
assistance with setting up PowerSchool Parent Access, please see
the receptionist.

Schoology Schoology is Gaston County Schools's Learning Management System

(LMS) and is accessible by parents to view assignments, grades, and
lesson material.

Parent Link Phone Automated phone calls will be sent home weekly to update parents
Calls about news at Belmont Central.

School Website Our school website is frequently updated to keep students, parents,
and the community in the loop on important announcements, news,
and events at BCE. Please visit our website at
www.gaston.k12.nc.us/belmontcentral

Social Media Our Facebook page is updated regularly. Please visit it at

www.facebook.com/BelmontCentralElementary

Monthly Newsletter A monthly newsletter from the assistant principal's office will be
shared via email. Paper copies are available upon request.

Bus Information Information about bus changes (delayed route times, driver
substitutions, etc.) will be sent via Blackboard messaging texts as
well as emails and Facebook posts.
 Arrival and Dismissal
Student drop-off begins at 7:10 AM via the front parking lot. We strongly encourage all students
to arrive by 7:25 AM to ensure that they have time to get settled and so that instruction can
begin on time. Breakfast is served from 7:10 - 7:25. The tardy bell rings at 7:30, and instruction
begins.

After 7:30, students are tardy and parents must come into the school to sign-in their
child.

At the end of the day, bus riders and walkers will be dismissed first, with car riders last. A
"walker" is a student who lives near the school campus and is walking to their residence. We
strongly discourage students from walking to meet their transportation at a location other than
our school grounds or at FourSquare Church. It is a safety issue because no one is supervising
your child once they leave our school grounds. This also applies to dropping students off at a
location other than our school grounds or the church.

Second and Third grade car riders will be picked up at the front circle. Fourth and Fifth grade car
riders will be picked up at the bus circle. All families will be given car tags for the dismissal line.
This tag must be visible on the dashboard in order to pick up your student at dismissal. See the
image below for instructions:

Any changes to afternoon dismissal must be submitted in writing to the teacher. If we do not
receive notice in writing, we will have to send your student home according to how they normally
leave school each day. If you fail to send in a note about changes, please call by 1:00 pm so
that the message can be delivered to the teacher.

Bus Transportation
Belmont Central Elementary School provides morning and afternoon bus transportation in
conjunction with the other schools in the feeder area. Our buses are coordinated by BCE/Page
administration and South Point High School Business Manager Ericka Garris. Please become
familiar with your child's bus number and driver's name as it will be helpful should you need to
contact the school about a bus issue.

To have a student added to a bus route during the school year, a written note must be sent to
the office with the student’s name, grade, and teacher name along with address information. A
24 hour notice is required to be added to a bus route.

Students are expected to follow bus safety rules while they are riding the bus. If a student is
not following the expectations for riding a bus, a student will receive the following disciplinary
action steps:

1. Conference with Administration

2. Lunch Detention
3. Bus Suspension

Be Responsible Use Respect Stay Safe

1. Follow the Code of 1. Talk softly and 1. Stay seated, and keep
Conduct appropriately aisle clear

2. Be on time 2. Respect yourself, 2. Listen to the driver

others, and property and other adults
3. Keep the bus clean
3. Keep hands, feet, and 3. Get on and off at your
objects to yourself assigned stop

Attendance
At Belmont Central, we believe that going to school is a student’s job. We feel that a day missed
in school is comparable to a parent missing a day of work. It is logical to assume that academic
material covered in a school day would never again be re-taught in as much detail.

According to the Gaston County School Attendance Policy, after 12 absences, the student does
not meet the 94% attendance requirement for promotion to the next grade level. Students must
be in attendance at least 168 days. Only 12 absences, including excused and unexcused
absences, are permitted each school year.

We will use the Parent Link calling program to contact parents when absences occur. Please
contact the school if phone numbers change, so that we may contact you. Please observe the
following procedures regarding necessary absences:

● All absences are coded unexcused until a note is brought to school.

 ● Bring a note to the teacher WITHIN 3 days of absence stating: child’s first and last name,
date(s) & reason for absence.
● Excused absences include: personal illness, death in the family, court, educational
opportunity, doctor appointment and religious holidays.
● Check with the office for requests for educational opportunity absences. By GCS policy,
they must be requested in advance of the absence. Please note that requests for
educational opportunity absences must be learning opportunities for students that are
related to standards. Family vacations will not be approved.
● Students are not authorized to leave campus at any time during the school day without
permission of school officials.
● Parents may write notes up through the 10th absence or tardy. After that, parents will
need to provide doctors’ notes. After 7 unexcused absences, the school social worker may
seek legal mediation through the court system.
● Gaston County Schools sends home letters informing parents after students have missed
3, 6 and 10 days of school.

Academic Information
Students in second grade receive report cards that are standards-based and show how they are
progressing in the curriculum. Grades for second grade students can be accessed via Schoology.
For more information, please see the Standards-Based Grading handout sent home with this
handbook to second graders.

Students in third through fifth grade receive letter grade report cards each nine weeks. Teachers
enter their grades online on PowerSchool. Parents can obtain log-in information from the office
about how to access their child’s grades online. Our teachers follow the Gaston County Schools
Grading Policy, which has a ten point grading scale:

A = 100 – 90
B = 89 – 80
C = 79 – 70
D = 69 = 60
F = 59 and below

Honor roll is also recognized at the end of the school year for those students in grades 3 - 5
who have maintained their grades for the entire year. A child that receives all As for the year is
on “A Honor Roll.” A child that receives a combination of As and Bs for the year is on the “A/B
Honor Roll.”

Grading Period Interim Date End of Nine Weeks Report Cards

First Nine Weeks 9/14/2023 10/12/2023 10/19/2023

Second Nine Weeks 11/16/2023 12/20/2023 01/11/2023

Third Nine Weeks 02/08/2024 03/07/2024 03/14/2024

Fourth Nine Weeks 04/18/2024 05/22/2024 05/31/2024

 Cafeteria and School Nutrition
Breakfast and Lunch are offered daily in all schools.

A complete school breakfast consists of: an entree made with grain and/or protein, fat free or
1% milk, and fruit and/or juice.

A complete school lunch consists of: an entree made with protein and/or grain, fat free or 1%
milk, vegetable, and fruit.

2023-2024 Meal Prices

Breakfast Lunch

Paid students at all grade levels - $1.40 Paid students in grades K-5 - $2.90
Reduced price students at all grade levels - Reduced price students at all grade levels -
$0.00 $0.00
Adults (staff and visitors) - $2.00 Adults (staff and visitors) - $4.00

Gaston County Schools maintains a computer system that accounts for students and their
cafeteria spending. Check, cash, or money order can be accepted in the school cafeteria. Parents
may also use https://family.titan.k12.com to pay online with their credit or debit card.

Gaston County Schools will host holiday meals on Wednesday, November 15 (grades 2 and 4
parents invited to attend) and on December 6 (grades 3 and 5 parents invited to attend). The
adult price for holiday meals is $4.50.

Gaston County Schools follows the NC Healthy Schools initiative. Parents are asked to send in
healthy snack and lunch options; we recommend that students do not bring sodas or energy
drinks for snack or lunch. Students are asked to have a water bottle for their day that contains
water.

Students who wish to purchase ice cream must pay Thursday of each week and it will be
distributed on Fridays. Ice cream is sold for $1 or $25 for the year. Ice cream can be paid for
using www.k12paymentcenter.com or cash. There is a $5 savings if ice cream money is paid in
full for the year.

Discipline
Please read and discuss the Gaston County Student Code of Conduct with your students. We will
not tolerate unsafe behavior which causes a disruption to the learning environment. Students
are to respect other students' and staff members' property and privacy.

The administration reserves the right to handle discipline issues in accordance with the GCS
Student Code of Conduct, including consequences ranging from an administrative conference to
out-of-school suspension.

Dress Code. Students should come dressed according to the guidelines in the Code of Conduct.
A student's appearance should not be distracting to other students nor should it be disruptive to
the learning environment. Students should wear tennis shoes on days that they have PE.
Cell Phones and Smart Watches. Student cell phones and smart watches must be off and out
of sight during the instructional day. Devices that are out at inappropriate times may be
confiscated and turned into the office for parent pick-up.

Technology & Cell Phones

Chromebooks. Belmont Central Elementary is a 1:1 Chromebook school. This means that each
student is issued a device to use for the entire school year. Students take these devices home
each night. A Chromebook agreement form must be completed annually. There is no cost for use
of the device. Loss, theft, or damage of a device must be reported to a teacher or administrator
for repair as soon as possible. Families may be responsible for reimbursing the district for the
cost of repair in the event of damage.

Field Trips
Field trips are an important way to extend the educational experience of students. Throughout
the year, grade levels will take field trips to locations in our community and state. Students are
required to ride school-provided transportation (bus) to and from field trip locations. Additionally,
students are expected to follow the GCS Code of Conduct while on field trips.

Students must have a signed permission slip in order to attend field trips, and parents can pay
any fees associated with trips via cash, check, or www.k12paymentcenter.com. Due to space
limitations of groups, only parents who will be acting as chaperones (and have an approved
volunteer application on file) will be permitted to attend field trips.

Medication
Medication will be administered to students only if parents have provided written permission on
an Authorization of Medication form supplied by Gaston County Schools that is also signed by the
student's physician. Medication must be in an updated prescription bottle with the label stating
the student's name, dosage, and instructions. Students should never be in possession of
medication, even over-the-counter medication, while on school grounds. Authorization of
medication forms can be picked up in the front office.

School Safety and Visitors

Keeping students and staff safe at school is our top priority. Therefore, we conduct monthly fire
drills, tornado drills as scheduled by the state, metal detecting in accordance with GCS policy,
and three lockdowns per year, and have a full-time School Resource Officer on campus. We
believe it is important for our students to develop situational awareness and to know what to do
in the event of an emergency. All safety drills are conducted in accordance with the Gaston
County Schools Emergency Plans.

In order to maintain safety at Belmont Central, all visitors to campus must check in at the front
office upon arrival and receive a "Visitor" badge, which is to be worn at all times while on school
grounds. To receive a "Visitor" badge, you must present your drivers license for scanning.

Parents may begin eating lunch with their children on August 28 - lunch visitors will not be
allowed prior to August 28. Parent visitors at lunch will need to sign in via the front office and
then eat with their child in the lobby area. Parents should not leave the lobby area for any
reason; students will walk themselves back to class when lunch is over. Due to space limitations,
we must limit to 2 guests/student at lunch.

Celebrations and Student Recognition

There will be three planned parties during the school year: Halloween, Christmas, and
Valentine's Day. Treats may be given for other holidays. Parents will be invited to attend the
Halloween and Christmas parties. Valentine's Day parties will be for students only.

Students are not allowed to receive flowers or balloons at schools. We are also unable to share
student information for birthday party invitations. Teachers are only allowed to distribute
invitations for birthday parties if all students in the class are receiving an invitation.

Parents are allowed to send in one treat for a student's birthday. It should be dropped off in the
office and will be given to the teacher to give to students after their lunch time. At Belmont
Central, we know that birthdays are very exciting and important to students, so we recognize
students' birthdays via the morning announcements. We cannot allow deliveries (balloons,
flowers, etc.) to students at school on birthdays or other occasions.

Additionally, Belmont Central recognizes students of the month for each class each month.
Student incentive celebrations will be held for students who have maintained their academic
work and behavior.

Asbestos Management
All Gaston County Schools are required to file an Asbestos Management Plan. This plan outlines
areas at school sites where asbestos is located. The Asbestos Management Plan for Belmont
Central Elementary School is available for your inspection in the front office, should you wish to
review it.

Board Policy
Information regarding specific school system policies can be found on the GCS website
(www.gaston.k12.nc.us) by hovering over the Board of Education tab. Then click on the Policies
link displayed.
 Belmont Central Elementary School
2023-2024 Important Dates
Fall 2023 Spring 2024
August January
● 13 - Second Grade Orientation, 2:30 - 4:00 ● 1-7 - Winter Break
PM ● 8 - Start of Second Semester
●
●
●
14 -
16 -
25 -
🎉
Meet the Teacher, 4:15 - 7:30 PM
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
First Ice Cream Friday
🎉 ●
●
11 - Report Cards Distributed
15 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

● 28 - Parent Visitors at Lunch Begin February

● 30 - Grade 3 Reading BOG ● 8 - Interim Reports
● 14 - Class Valentine's Day Parties (students
September only)
● 4 - Labor Day Holiday ● 19 - Student Holiday
● 12 - RtA and Standards-Based Learning
Parent Information Sessions, 5:30 March
● 14 - Interim Reports ● 4 - 7 - Read Across America Week
● 25 - Picture Day ● 7 - Early Dismissal (11:30) and
Parent-Teacher Conferences
October ● 8 - Student Holiday
● 12 - Early Dismissal (11:30) and ● 14 - Report Cards Distributed
Parent-Teacher Conferences ● 29 - Holiday
● 13 - No School for Students
● 19 - Report Cards April
● 23 - Red Ribbon Week ● 1-5 - Spring Break
● 26 - 5th Grade Holiday Parties ● 18 - Interim Reports
● 27 - 4th Grade Holiday Parties
● 30 - 3rd Grade Holiday Parties
● 31 - 2nd Grade Holiday Parties
May
● 9 - Reading EOG (grades 3 - 5)
● 14 - Math EOG (grades 3 - 5)
November ● 16 - Science EOG (grade 5)
● 10 - Veterans Day Holiday ● 17 - Reading EOG Retest (grade 3)
● 14 - Make-Up Picture Day ● 22 - Last Day of School
● 15 - Thanksgiving Meal (grades 2/4 parents ● 31 - Report Cards Mailed
invited)
● 16 - Interim Reports
● 22-24 - Thanksgiving Break
● 28 - Belmont Christmas Parade
TBD:
● Field Day
● PTO Fundraiser
December ● Awards Day
● 6 - Holiday Meal (grades 3/5 parents Ceremonies
invited)
● 15 - 2nd Grade Holiday Parties
● 18 - 3rd Grade Holiday Parties
● 19 - 4th Grade Holiday Parties
● 20 - 5th Grade Holiday Parties
● 21 - 30 - Winter Break

**Please note that dates may change as the year progresses. Similarly, additional events will be added. Those dates will be
communicated as they are established.**