Dear Parents and Students,

       Welcome to Harkers Island Elementary, a community school with a 
tradition of excellence in education. We look forward to working with 
you in the coming year to meet our goal of helping every child succeed 
each day.  Our entire staff is committed to providing the best possible 
educational experience.

     In addition to our high academic performance, Harkers Island enjoys
the reputation of maintaining an extremely safe and orderly educational 
environment. Many of the practices and procedures that help us keep our 
high standards are found in Harkers Island Elementary School Parent 
and Student Handbook.  A Parent’s Guide to Carteret County Public 
School’s Policies and Procedures gives additional information regarding 
students enrolled in our public school system. We encourage you to read 
both publications carefully and to contact the school if you have questions 
about this information or any other concern about your child. 

     I look forward to working with you and your child during the upcoming 
school year.  Thank you in advance for all your support and hard work.


Sincerely,

April Lilley

Principal

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OUTSTANDING FEATURES AND PROGRAMS

(To name just a few)

Active PTO and Advisory Council

Active Volunteer Program

School Wide Technology

Unique Island Setting

Computer Lab

General Music and Band

Accelerated Reader Program

Battle of the Books Team (2001-2002 County and Regional Champions- AGAIN!)

Softball

Cheerleading

Volleyball

Baseball

During the 2001-2002 school year, input from the staff, parents, and students 
was used to write the following guiding principles for our school.  We thank 
you for your help in this process.

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HIES Vision Statement

Our vision is to become a community in which all students, parents, and staff 
are supportive of the educational process and committed to excellence.

Our mission is to prepare all students to achieve high standards and become 
lifelong learners.

We believe……

High academic expectations and behavioral standards must be communicated 
to and modeled for each child.

Each member of our school is valuable and deserves fairness, dignity, and 
respect in a safe, clean, environment.

Each child’s true academic potential can be obtained only when parents, 
students, and school staff communicate and work together as a team.

Quality teaching uses a variety of strategies and activities including whole 
group, small group, and individual instruction in a technology rich environment.

Children achieve their fullest potential when engaged in a variety of academic, 
physical, and social experiences.

All members of the school community should be lifelong learners.

A strong reading program is an essential part of an effective school.

Our school has a responsibility to identify and provide assistance to students 
with special educational needs.

Fostering responsible citizenship and respect for diversity is an essential 
role of the school.

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HARKERS ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2002-2003 Staff Roster

  Teachers

Mike Crusie                                                                           8th Grade

Cheryl Nelson                                                                        7th Grade

Sharon Stanley                                                                       6th Grade

Terri Trevathan                                                                       5th Grade

Jean Rose                                                                                4th Grade

Paige Willis                                                                             3rd Grade

Terry Lewis                                                                            2nd Grade

Laura Styron                                                                            1st Grade

Renee Koegler                                                                      Kindergarten

Lisa Chadwick                                                                        LAP/Title I

Cecila Smith                                                                            Resource

Kathy Yeomans                                                                       Resource

Dianne Garner                                                                         Media Center

Laranda Taylor                                                                        Technology

Barry Langston                                                                        Music

Allen Pettit                                                                               Band

Rhonda Scibal                                                                      AIG Coordinator  

Karen Taylor                                                                           Instructional Assistant

Eugenia Johnson                                                                      Instructional Assistant

Ann Chadwick                                                                         Head Custodian

Helen Foley                                                                              Custodian

Minetta Nelson                                                                        Cafeteria Manager

Donna Wade                                                                            Cafeteria Worker

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2002-2003 Advisory Council

Yvette Baker

Stacy Davis Baysden

LuAnne Merrill

Diana Pake

Cathy Rose

April Taylor

Geneva Mason

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ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

     The school day is from 8:15 AM until 3:00 PM.  Pupils should report to the cafeteria 
in the morning if they arrive prior to 8:05 AM.  After 8:05 AM, they should report to 
the cafeteria for breakfast or go directly to their classroom.  The tardy bell will ring 
at 8:15 AM.  All pupils should be in their classrooms and ready to begin their daily 
assignments at this time. Students arriving after 8:15 will need to obtain an admit slip 
from the office in order to be allowed into class.  We ask that parents not remain in the 
classrooms after the 8:15 tardy bell.  This allows us to begin our instructional day 
promptly.
     
     School will dismiss at 3:00 PM. The first-load bus will depart the main exit at 
3:00 PM.  Pupils who ride the second bus will remain in their homeroom until the 
second-load bus arrives at approximately 3:30.  A bell for walkers and riders will 
ring at 3:05.  K-3 pupils will use the front exit at the 3:05 bell.  Pupils in grades 4-8 
will dismiss through the east exit by the cafeteria. To avoid classroom disruptions 
parents are asked not to enter the halls before 3:00 without permission from the office.

     Parents are reminded to park in the parking lot if they arrive prior to the dismissal 
bell. If a child is not ready, parents should pull into the parking lot to wait for them.   
It is important to keep traffic moving in the driveway to avoid dangerous congestion 
either in front of the building or on the highway. No one should park or leave cars 
unattended in front of the building at any time.  This area is used regularly as a 
loading zone.

     All students K-8 arriving late should report to the office to sign-in.  All students 
will also sign-out through the office. We must have parental permission in order for 
a child to be picked up early.  Checking out needs to be limited to reasons for 
missing school as stated in the attendance section. Please do not ask to check 
out your child early unless it is an emergency situation.  Getting a child out of 
class disrupts everyone’s lessons.  We need your help to ensure that everyone’s 
learning time is protected.

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ATTENDANCE

     The success of your child academically depends to a great extent upon regular 
attendance.  All future work habits, including attendance, begin at school.  Be 
mindful that in allowing unnecessary absences parents send the signal that school 
is not important.

The Carteret County Board of Education’s attendance policy states that 
students are expected to be present for a minimum of 91% of instructional time. 
Failure to meet the attendance standard by a student at the middle and elementary 
grades will be taken into consideration by the principal when making a promotion 
decision. The principal may waive the 91% requirement in extenuating and 
verifiable circumstances such as:

     The student has prolonged and/or chronic health condition which is substantiated 
by a physician.

     The student has achieved national or state recognition in activities, which require 
him/her to be absent.

     The student has experienced severe emotional and/or physical trauma documented 
by a physician, licensed psychologist, or licensed mental health professional.

     The North Carolina Compulsory School Attendance Law (G.S. 115C-378) contains 
the following requirements:

     The parent, guardian, or custodian of a child shall notify the school of the reason 
for each known absence of the child in accordance with local school board policy.  
Carteret County Board Policy requires that a parent furnish a note signed by the 
parent or the student’s physician stating the reason for all absences and 
tardiness. Valid and excusable reasons for absences include illness, injury, 
quarantine, and death in the family, medical visits, or judicial proceedings requiring 
the child to appear in court.

     Every parent, guardian, or other person in this state having charge or control of 
a child between the ages of seven and 16 years shall cause such child to attend 
school continuously.  Legal action may be started against you if your child accumulates 
10 unexcused absences.  If you are found guilty in court of failure to comply with 
the North Carolina Compulsory Attendance Law, you may be fined, ordered to 
serve an active jail sentence or both.
 

Absence Due to Educational Opportunity
     An absence may be excused when it is demonstrated that the purpose of the 
absence is to take advantage of a valid educational opportunity. Approval for such 
absence must be obtained before the absence occurs.  In order for a child’s absences 
to be excused during travel or for educational opportunities, the child must make a 
written request to the principal prior to the absence explaining the educational 
value. All schoolwork and any additional related projects must be completed before 
the absence is marked excused.

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Make Up Work

     It is the responsibility of the student and their parent to find out about missing 
work and to schedule times to make up the work.  Any missed work must be made 
up within three school days except in cases of extended excused absences. Failure 
to make up work in the allowed time may result in receiving failing marks. Harkers 
Island teachers stand ready to help students who are absent catch up on their work, 
but there is no substitute for being present in class.   Unexcused absences will not 
receive the same teacher courtesies for make-up work as excused absences.

NOTE:  Students who are absent during the school day may not participate 
in any extra- curricular activity unless the absence is for scheduled medical 
or dental care. A doctor’s note must be received to verify the reason for the 
absence.

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ATHLETICS

Harkers Island School is extremely proud of our record of success in 
athletics. In order to be eligible to participate in our athletic programs students 
must meet the following requirements:

Academic Requirements

1.     All students who are promoted to the next grade are eligible until the 
1^st nine-week grading period.

2.     Students who fail any subject at the nine-week grading period are ineligible 
until the next nine-week grading period.

3.     Ineligible students may not try out for a team.

Behavior Requirements

1.     One out-of-school suspension or a second ISS assignment ends a student’s 
eligibility for the sport. In addition, the student may not join another sport in 
progress.

2.     Student athletes must conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively 
on the school at all athletic events. Poor sportsmanship may lead to a student 
becoming ineligible for participation for the remainder of the year.

Attendance

A student must be in attendance 85% of the previous semester to be eligible to try 
out for a sport.

 Age

A student shall not participate if the student becomes 15 years of age on or before 
October 16^th of that school year.

Medical Form

The student must receive a medical examination each year by a duly licensed 
physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. 

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CHILL-OUT

Middle school students who are disrupting the learning of others may be sent to 
chill-out in another classroom.  Parents will be notified if their child is sent to chill 
out by a note or phone call.

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COMPLAINT OR CONCERN PROCESS

If a student or parent has a concern about a school policy or a teacher, the following 
procedure should be followed in order to resolve the situation as quickly as possible: 

1.     Contact the teacher with whom you have the complaint/concern to discuss the 
situation.

2.     If the problem still exists, contact the principal.

3.     Is the situation is still unresolved contact the appropriate central office personnel.

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DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

           Each teacher has developed a set of classroom regulations and consequences.  
These will be shared with you at the beginning of the year. The discipline plan for 
your child's class will make you aware of your role as a parent and of ways you can 
assist in making our school a better place for pupils to learn.

In order to implement a consistent approach to the handling of disciplinary 
referrals to the office, the following procedure has been adopted. The first time a 
child is formally referred to the office by a teacher for disciplinary action during a 
semester, the principal will confer with the child and notify the parents by note or 
phone that she has seen their child.  The second visit will necessitate a formal 
parent conference to discuss ways to help the child become more successful.  A 
third visit within the same semester may result in suspension or other appropriate 
consequences. 

Please keep in mind the above procedures are designed to follow up after 
the teacher's discipline procedures have been implemented.  This applies only to 
routine referrals for misbehavior. Any incidences of severe misconduct will be 
dealt with on an individual basis.  The following is a partial list of behaviors that 
are considered more severe in nature and may result in suspension or lead to 
possible expulsion:

·       Non-compliance with direction of school personnel

·       Disruption of school

·       Skipping

·       Use of profanity

·       Assault

·       Fighting

·       Bringing a weapon on school property (Any student who possesses a 
deadly weapon as defined  by Carteret County School Policy shall be 
suspended from school for 365 days)

·       Threatening or abusive actions (Bomb threats are a felony and could 
result in a 365 day suspension)

·       Theft or damage to property

·       Possession of tobacco

·       Possession of any narcotics, alcoholic beverage, controlled substances, 
or drug paraphernalia (Violations may result in the suspension of the 
student for the remainder of the school year) 

·       Trespassing  

1.     Do your best to learn.

2.     Help others do their best to learn.

3.     Act in a safe manner.

4.     Be respectful to all members of the HIES school community.

5.     Follow directions from school personnel politely and promptly.

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DRESS CODE

            Students must dress in a manner appropriate for school. This means that 
clothing should not distract from learning.

·       Shorts should be at least fingertip length or have at least a three inch inseam - 
NO DAISY DUKES.

·       Clothing must not contain any offensive slogans or images

·       Shirts must have straps that are at least one inch in width and should not be 
excessively low cut or revealing

·        Bellies, butts, bras, and underpants must be covered

·       Hats should not be worn inside the building

A good rule is that if there is ANY question as to whether or not clothing is 
acceptable, then it should not be worn to school. Students whose clothing is 
deemed inappropriate for school by their teachers will be sent to the office and 
will remain there until they have appropriate attire. 

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EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

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MEDICINES

            Prescription medicine can be administered by school personnel under 
the following guidelines:

1.   An order signed by a physician with specific directions for administration must 
be submitted to the office.  A parent or legal guardian must also sign this order. 
These forms are available in our office and at the offices of most of our area 
physicians.

2.   Parents must bring the medication in a bottle with a pharmacist's label designating 
patient's name, dispensing instructions, name of drug, and the physician's name.  
Office personnel will count medication in pill form while observed by the parent.

3.   A record will be kept of all children receiving medication.  This record will be 
accessible in the office.

4.  A note regarding the medication will be attached to the child's health card.

5.   All medication will be kept locked in the office and administered by office 
personnel.  Teachers or assistants will be given medication to administer on 
field trips.

NONPRESCRIPTION MEDICINES

The above procedures also apply to all nonprescription medicines administered to 
students in kindergarten through fifth grade.  Students in middle school may keep 
non-prescription medications with them under the following conditions:

1.     The principal must have a note from the parent or guardian identifying the 
medication and the reason for taking it.

2.     The student may keep enough medication for one day.

3.     Medication must not be stored in the student’s cubby.

4.     The principal will notify the teachers of students taking medication over an 
extended period of time.

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PARENT INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Harkers Island Elementary School has always had an excellent volunteer 
program. Classroom volunteers are always needed to work with the teachers and 
the students. We encourage anyone who is interested in helping to contact our 
Volunteer Coordinator, Angela Scott, at 728-5012.