Lyons Farm Principal Update #67

Effective Date: Tuesday, April 2 2024

We recognize the increasing prevalence of electronic devices such as phones, smartwatches, tablets, and digital cameras among students. While these devices can offer educational benefits and convenient communication tools, their misuse can disrupt the learning environment and pose safety concerns. Therefore, it is imperative that all students understand and adhere to our school's electronic expectations to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment for all.

Expectations:

Starting April 2, 2024, students found in violation of misuse– any behavior or activity that disrupts the learning environment, compromises student safety, or violates school rules, of an electronic device (may include, but not limited to phones, smartwatches, tablets, or digital cameras) will be subject to the following consequences:

• First Offense:

A letter will be sent home to be signed by a parent, guardian, or caregiver, acknowledging a commitment to ensuring their child understands proper use of electronic devices. The student may only bring the electronic device to school if the letter is signed and returned. If the letter is not signed and returned, the student will be asked to take the electronic device to the front office for parent/guardian pick up and signature.

• Second Offense:

The student will be asked to take the device to the front office for parent/guardian pickup and will not be allowed to bring the device back to school for 5 school days.

• Third Offense:

The student will be asked to take the device to the front office, and a parent must come to the school to pick up the device and meet with an administrator regarding proper usage. The device will not be allowed back on campus for 10 school days.

Exceptions

• Exceptions may be made for students with medical needs requiring electronic devices. Parents or guardians must contact me for approval prior to bringing a device to school. If approved, the classroom teacher, parent/guardian and I will collaborate on an appropriate plan for the students.

Parent/School Communication

• Our protocols for communicating PM transportation changes, medication updates, and other important student notifications remain unchanged. Please continue to reach out to your child's teacher or the front office to relay this information.

The Intersection of Technology and Safety

It is the responsibility of both the school and parents/guardians to collaborate in fostering a culture of responsible technology usage among our students. We recognize that the landscape of technology and its impact on our educational environment is constantly evolving–and that our updated electronic expectations are not rigid or “fixed,” but rather adaptable to meet the changing needs and challenges of our school community. While we expect these expectations to be in place for the remainder of the 2023-2024 academic school year, we are committed to ensuring that they remain relevant.

To achieve this we plan to utilize informal focus groups to engage with staff, students, and parents at the end of the academic year. These focus groups will serve as platforms for soliciting additional thoughts, experiences with the above expectations, and for collecting other considerations. We recognize the importance of inclusivity and ensuring that voices from all segments of our community are represented in this process—to the extent possible. Our ultimate goal is to collaborate as best we can in addressing the complex intersection of safety and technology.

–Hopkins

Afterschool will have a lottery for the upcoming school year (end of March/April). The exact dates and process for registration will be shared on our website www.dpsnc.net/afterschool. Feel free to contact our accounting office with questions at 919-560-9488.

Families,

We are excited to share that due to continued high demand for our elementary afterschool programs, we will launch a new lottery system for our elementary programs only for the 2024-2025 school year to ensure equitable access to afterschool care. The Durham Public Schools (DPS) afterschool lottery is similar to the Magnet/CTE Application. This lottery application window will open March 18, 2024, at 8 a.m. and close on April 5, 2024, at 5 p.m.

Families may apply for the elementary afterschool lottery using their current Schoolmint account credentials. Lottery participation is not required for before-school or middle school programs.

Please note: DPS employees will have the opportunity to register early and receive a monthly 15% discount from March 4 – 8, 2024.

DPS elementary before- and afterschool programs are licensed by the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (NCDCDEE) under the leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services. To maintain our licensing, our programs adhere to the regulatory guidance highlighted below:

• All DPS before and after-school elementary programs have a 4- or 5-star rating and must adhere to licensure regulations including student to staff ratio of 1:14 for kindergartners and 1:18 for 1st -5th graders and staff qualifications per elementary program license.
• Opening program capacities for the beginning of the school year are different and are based on staffing.

Due to lesser demand for before school and middle school programs, general registration will open May 13, 2024, for these programs in the Procare/Schoolcare Works portal. A lottery is not required for these programs.

The Elementary Afterschool Lottery Process

Step 1.

Create an online account with your e-mail address and password or phone number and password: https://applydpsnc.schoolmint.com/

Please note that because text messaging is limited to a maximum number of characters, you will need a valid email address for the parent/guardian contact section of the application to receive all communication.

Step 2.

If your student is a current DPS student, please enter his/her PowerSchool Student ID Number to pre-populate the student/parent information fields, or you may manually enter these data fields.

Step 3.

Select the school/program your child will be attending. If you are registering siblings, answer yes to registering siblings to receive the sibling link. Siblings will receive a seat together or both siblings will be waitlisted. Parents can opt out of the sibling link, which means one can be seated, and not the other.

Step 4.

Complete the parent information and signature page and submit your application(s) by April 5. Changes may be made to application(s) until the April 5, 2024, 5 p.m. deadline, with no exceptions.

Step 5

Families will receive notification by email of their lottery results on April 12. If you have been granted a seat in a program, you must register and pay in the Procare/Schoolcare Works portal using your current credentials at https://connect.schoolcareworks.com/login.jsp by 5 p.m. on April 15 - 26, 2024. If you do not complete the Procare/Schoolcare Works registration by April 26 by 5 p.m., your seat will be forfeited. No exceptions. You can also visit www.dpsnc.net/afterschool to register and pay under the registration tab if you do not have an account. Families that receive a lottery seat can register for both before and after-school programs at the same time in Procare/Schoolcare Works.

Families who miss the lottery window of March 18 - April 5, 2024, can register in Procare/Schoolcare Works beginning May 13, 2024, for any remaining seats. All accounts must be current to register for summer camp and/or before- and after-school for the new school year.

March 4 – March 8

March 18 – April 5

April 12

April 15 – April 26

May 13

We thank you for choosing DPS for your after-school program of choice. If you have questions, please contact our Accounting Office at 919-560-9488.

Tracey Super-Edwards

Director of Community Education

• Enrollment application
• Birth certificate
• Immunizations
• Health form
• Proof of residency
• Parent/Legal Guardian ID

All documentation can be submitted with the application (upload options available in application), via email or in person.

Please contact Kaylin Blamo with questions: kaylin_blamo@dpsnc.net

Visit: Visit: https://www.dpsnc.net/enrollment to start the process

Email: james_hopkins@dpsnc.net
Website: https://www.dpsnc.net/lyons-farm-elementary
Location: 906 Scott King Road, Durham, NC, USA
Phone: 919-560-9449
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/396577048993289/?ref=share
Twitter: @principaljhop