Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions
of students and parents.
- How do I enroll my child at Sarah Smith Elementary?
- What are the school hours?
- What if I need to change my child's usual transportation?
- Is breakfast and lunch served?
- Does the school have an after school program?
- Is there a school store to purchase school supplies?
- Do students wear uniforms?
- What are some of the extra-curricular activities offered?
- Can parents visit the school and volunteer?
- Can I select my child's teacher?
- Do you teach a foreign language at Sarah Smith Elemetary?
- What are key phone numbers I need to have?
How do I enroll my child at Sarah Smith Elementary?
Please visit two links on the Principal's website: Kindergarten
Info and
Enrollment Info. Both of these have information about
registration
requirements. For more information, please contact the school at
404-802-3850 (Primary Campus) or 404-802-3880 (Intermediate
Campus).
What are the school hours?
8:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Students may arrive on campus beginning at 7:30 a.m. Students
arriving
after 8:00 a.m. are considered tardy and parents must come to the
office and
sign in the student.
Dismissal begins at 2:30 p.m. All students should be picked up
no later
than 2:45 p.m. unless they ride the bus or are in the after
school program.
What if I need to change my child's usual transportation?
Written notice is required anytime a student's usual
transportation
changes. Changes cannot be accepted over the telephone but may
be faxed
with the appropriate identification attached. No changes can be
accepted
after 2:00 p.m. and no early checkout can occur after 2:15 p.m.
These
procedures are in place for the safety of the students and the
smoothness of
dismissal.
Is breakfast and lunch served?
Yes. A nutritious breakfast is served daily from 7:30 a.m. until
7:50 a.m.
Lunch is also served daily and offers choices to the students.
Menus for
breakfast and lunch are available. There are no breakfast or
lunch charges
allowed. Meals must be paid for in advance or at the time of
serving.
Otherwise, an alternative meal is provided.
Does the school have an after school program?
Yes, an after school program is provided for those interested
every day the
school is in session from dismissal time until 6:00 p.m.
Enrichment
activities, study time, and a snack are provided. The cost of
the program
is determined by the contracted company selected by the school.
For more
information about the after school program, contact the school
office or
visit www.smithafterschool.com.
Is there a school store to purchase school supplies?
For your convenience, the PTA operates a school store
with basic
supplies. The school store is located in the lobby of both
campuses and is open on
designated days from 7:30 a.m. until 7:55 a.m.
Do students wear uniforms?
No,uniforms are not required at Sarah Smith Elementary. However,
it is
believed that there is a direct relationship between dress,
grooming,
conduct, and success. Every child is encouraged to observe a
standard of
grooming and dress consistent with the level of formality of the
school
situation. A dress code has been designed for Sarah Smith
Elementary and is
shared with the students early in the school year.
What are some of the extra-curricular activities offered?
There is a variety of extra-curricular offerings at Sarah Smith.
Included
are band, orchestra, and chorus (for students in grades 4-5),
student council, Odyssey of the Mind,
and safety patrol. Club offering vary year-to-year.
Can parents visit the school and volunteer?
A warm welcome is extended to parents and interested persons when
visiting
the school. For the protection of the students, all visitors
must register
in the front office and receive a Visitor's Badge. If you wish
to volunteer
in the classroom, arrangements would be made with the teacher.
Volunteers
are always needed.
Can I select my child's teacher?
It is the policy of Sarah Smith that classroom assignments for
grades 1-5
will be made by the principal and the teachers. For
kindergarten, attempts
will be made to accommodate one of four choices with no
guarantee.
Establishing a class roster entails many variables, such as sex,
age, race, ability levels, matching of teaching styles, dynamics
with peers,
etc. It is the goal to make each class reflect a demographically
democratic
array of students. At all grade levels, the teachers, supporting
faculty,
and administration attempt to distribute students so that every
class is as
comparable as possible. This is a process that is quite involved
and each
child is carefully assessed based on various needs. Requesting
certain
teachers creates an extremely difficult situation and equity is
hard to
maintain. However, parents may submit a letter to the principal
with a
description of their child's learning styles, characteristics,
etc. These
considerations are made when placement decisions are being done.
Do you teach a foreign language at Sarah Smith Elemetary?
Sarah Smith Elementary offers a very strong French program for
all students,
kindergarten through fifth grade. Students in grades 1-5 receive French instruction
daily
for 30 minutes. Why French? The outstanding French team has put
together
the top ten reasons to answer that question.
1. Knowing French will allow you not only to function but to
compete
effectively in the global economy of the future.
2. Speaking French will increase your job opportunities and
salary
potential. More than 1,200 French companies have
subsidiaries in the
U.S.
3. Studing French increases your appreciation of other people
and their
cultures. French is the first or second language in more
than 40
countries and is spoken by 125 million people around the
world, on every
continent.
4. French opens up an entire world of sporting events to
enthusiasts.
French is the official language of the Olympic Games and other
international sporting events.
5. Knowing French will improve your vocabulary in English. Some
40-50% of
English vocabulary comes from French.
6. Learning a new language, like French, develops your critical
and creative
thinking skills.
7. Proficiency in French will significantly improve your chances
of being
accepted to the university and to graduate schools.
8. Using French enhances your travel abroad to Canada, the
Caribbean,
Europe,and Africa. After the United States, France is the
second most
visited tourist destination in the world.
9. French is the language of culture, opening your door to art,
music,
dance, fashion, cuisine, and cinema.
10. French is the language of many great literary masterpieces.
France has
won more Nobel Prizes for literature than any other country.
(This information was gathered from a publication of the Cultural
Services
of the French Embassy in the United States and The American
Association of
Teachers of French.)
Sometimes students continue their study of French through middle
and high
schools and obtain a high level of fluency. Others may switch to
Spanish in
middle or high school, adding a third language to English and
French.
Even though Spanish is considered more widely spoken than French,
that is
actually regional. French is the second most spoken language
behind English
in the world. And, since French and Spanish are similar
languages, the
acquisition of the other is easier.
In the magazine, Language Today, a report on the world's
"ten most
influential languages" was presented based on the following
criteria:
- number of primary speakers (native or home speakers)
- number of secondary speakers
- number and population of countries using the language
- number of major fields (science, diplomacy, etc. using the
language
internationally)
- economic power of countries using the language
- and socio-literacy prestige.
In order of influence, the "top ten" are:
1. English
2. French
3. Spanish
4. Russian
5. Arabic
6. Chinese
7. German
8. Japanese
9. Portuguese
10. Hindi/Urdu
We are very proud of our French program at Sarah Smith Elementary
and the
quality of the instruction offered is exceptional. A
"French Club" is held
at the kindergarten campus each Wednesday after school to provide
some
exposure of the language to the kindergarten students since they
are not
provided with daily French instruction.
What are key phone numbers I need to have?
Sarah Smith Elementary School
Primary Campus (Grades K-2) 404-802-3850
Sarah Smith Elementary School
Intermediate Campus (Grades 3-5) 404-802-3880
Sarah Smith Food Service 404-802-3867
Mr. Erroll Davis, Superintendent 404-802-3500
APS Board of Education 404-802-2820
APS Chief of Staff 404-802-2200
Sarah Smith's Executive Director 404-802-6537
Program for Exceptional Children 404-802-1699
APS Student Placement Office 404-802-2233
APS Transportation (bus routes) 404-753-9815
