School Hours and Information
Our school address is: 9928 Ball Ground Rd. Cumming, GA 30028
The school office is open from 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
SCHOOL DAY SCHEDULE
7:00 Buses begin arriving*
7:35 Students should be in homeroom ready for the instructional day to begin
7:35 Instructional day begins
2:17 Buses begin departure
2:18 Car riders dismissed
2:30 After School Program begins
*The building will not be opened until 7:00 am daily. No student should arrive before 7:00 am.
VISITORS
All visitors must follow procedures and protocols published by the Cherokee County School District. All visitors, including parents and volunteers, must present a valid ID to be buzzed in through the front door and report to the front desk upon entering the building. Each visitor will be required to sign in and wear an identification badge during the visit. Parents/visitors should not interrupt any teacher’s classroom unless authorized to do so by office personnel. In the event a classroom interruption needs to occur, office personnel will escort the parent to the classroom. We welcome your visits to the school; our intent is to ensure each child’s safety and provide maximum, uninterrupted instructional time. No visitors will be permitted during standardized testing.
TRANSPORTATION
All students have a monthly transportation calendar in the back of the daily folder. Parents MUST mark the calendar accurately as students will be sent home in the manner marked on the folder. Any students needing to change routine transportation plans (such as a child going home with another student in car riders) must have a note from all parents involved in the change. If students do not have a note, they will not be permitted to be a car rider with other student. Students may not ride the bus home with a friend. Students are only allowed to ride the bus to their home address. Transportation changes will only be accepted in emergency situations when the office receives a phone call along with a faxed/e-mailed ID with written and signed permission from the parent by 1:45 PM. Transportation changes e-mailed to teachers will not be approved. Parents MUST use the monthly transportation calendar in daily folder. If the transportation calendar is not filled out, students will be placed in ASP for a $20 ASP drop-in fee.
BAD WEATHER PROCEDURE (EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSING)
If severe weather is approaching our area and it becomes necessary to cancel school or dismiss early, the announcement will be made on the CCSD website, www.cherokeek12.net and will be transmitted via social media avenues, such as the CCSD Facebook and Twitter accounts, and through the School District’s emergency notification service. Emergency closure announcements will also be sent to all metro Atlanta television stations (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX), as well as the following radio stations: WSB Atlanta 98.5 FM, WSB 750 AM, WLJA 101.1 AM.
Please do not call the school to obtain closing information. We cannot delay the departure of buses long enough for all students to call their parents. Students must be sent home immediately. Therefore, it is very important that students are aware of what to do and that their Inclement Weather information is completed in ParentVUE.
BRINGING ITEMS TO THE SCHOOL
In order to minimize disruption in the classroom and limiting visitors inside the building, please double check everything before your child leaves the home; however, please bring forgotten lunches, money, homework, etc. to the office/cart outside of front doors. We will attempt to get items to your child outside of instructional times.
CAR RIDERS
Morning car riders can enter the building at 7AM. Please do not line up in the parking lot prior to 7AM. The tardy bell rings at 7:35AM and parents will need to come inside and sign their student in at the front office.
Afternoon car riders will be dismissed after all busses have departed campus. Do NOT form car rider lines prior to 2PM. The car rider tag with your child(ren) name needs to be displayed. Be prepared to show your driver’s license to the car rider caller or duty personal. Any car rider not picked up by 2:30PM will be sent to the ASP program and charged a $20 drop-in fee.
EARLY DISMISSAL/CHECKOUT
If a child needs to leave school before the end of the instructional day, a parent/guardian must sign the child out in the office. Personal identification will be required. Your child will be released only to parents, guardian, or other persons listed in the online ParentVUE. Office personnel will call the child from the classroom. No child will be released directly from a classroom or the playground to any adult - including parents - unless accompanied by office personnel. Students may not be checked out between 1:45PM and 2:15PM.
DRESS CODE
Every child at Free Home is expected to observe a standard of grooming and adhere to the CCSD dress code policy to promote an orderly learning environment. This code will be enforced to prevent disruption or interference with the operation of the school instructional program. Please refer to the CCSD Student Discipline Code Handbook for specific dress code guidelines. Chaperones and volunteers are asked to follow these same guidelines.
ICE CREAM
Ice cream may be purchased for $1 daily. Please send money in a labeled envelope. Ice cream money will be collected by homeroom teachers no later than 8AM.
LOST ITEMS
In order for the school to identify lost items, parents are requested to write their child’s name on coats, sweaters, and book bags. All unclaimed items are donated to charity at the end of every month.
MEDICATION/CLINIC PROCEDURES
Free Home has the services of a school nurse each day. Only minor first aid can be administered at school. When your child has symptoms of contagious illness, you will be notified and expected to check out your child from school until symptoms are no longer present.
When at all possible, you are encouraged to schedule your child’s medication so that it may be given at home under your supervision. However, we realize that this is not always possible. Prescription medicine is given at parental request if it is in a prescription bottle with a current prescription label accompanied by the Medication Authorization Form and specific timeline for administration. Over the counter medications are given at parental request if they are in the original container and accompanied by the Medication Authorization Form and a specific timeline for administration. Medication Authorization Forms are available in the clinic. Unused medication will be picked up by the parent or destroyed. No medication should be transported on the bus.