Parent-Student Handbook

August 5, 2025

Welcome (back) to Hickman!

I am so excited that we are once again able to begin our year learning together! While I may be slightly biased, we have the best teachers and staff in MNPS ready for and excited about the learning that will happen this school year.

I want to take this time to encourage you to visit our website for specific details about our school and things to come this year. Our website will be our primary source of information including important dates you will want to be aware of. Our school also uses Remind as a parent communication tool, so be sure to download the app on your phone for easy communication with your child’s teacher. Please also make sure we have current and correct phone and email information so that you will receive my weekly call-out and email newsletter on Sunday evenings.

The MNPS Parent-Student handbook has also been published and is accessible online at MNPS.org. Of specific interest, and time-sensitive importance, is the Parent Permission Portal. This Permissions Portal is where you will opt-out of specific supports/activities for your child.

Let me end here by Thanking You for sharing your young one(s) with us during these very important years of social, emotional, and academic development. I assure you that my staff and I are here to support the learning and development of every student with the highest level of compassion and care. We are in this together so please feel free to reach out should you need anything this year.

Respectfully,

Mr. Chris Holmes

Executive Principal, Hickman Elementary

Schoolwide Procedures for Arrival and Dismissal

All traffic entering the Hickman and Donelson Middle School campuses must do so from Donelsonwood Drive. All traffic exiting the campuses must do so on the south side of Donelson Middle School. Traffic patterns are clearly marked and with the exception of the roadway between the two schools, all traffic flows in a single direction.

Arrival

School begins at 8:00 a.m. with doors opening at 7:45 a.m. Children should not be dropped off prior to 7:45 as they will be unsupervised. Students arriving after 8:00 are tardy and must be signed in by an adult in the office. Breakfast is served each day except on half days.

Vehicles transporting students to school need to drive around the back of the school and drop children off at the doors on the north side of the building. The drive is two lanes but both lanes go the same direction. Please do not fill the outermost lane until after 7:40 a.m. each morning out of consideration for families using before-care services through the YMCA and to allow deliveries and maintenance workers an opportunity to exit. Enter the driveway closest to the school’s marquee sign and athletic fields. Students in grades 1, 2, 4, and 5 will use the first set of doors by the first grade classrooms. Students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and grade 3 will use the second set, the doors by the Pre-K classrooms. Students should exit the vehicle from the passenger side. Staff will be available to direct traffic.

Dismissal

Students will not be dismissed early past 2:30 p.m. Students are dismissed from school at 3:00 p.m. from the gymnasium. Vehicles picking up students from school need to enter the driveway closest to the school’s marquee sign and athletic fields, drive around the back of the school and wait by the gym until students are dismissed. Parents will be provided a car tag to hang from their rearview mirror or place on the front dash which indicates the names of the student(s) being picked up. This detail will ensure our students’ safety while also streamlining the dismissal process.

Children must be picked up by 3:15 p.m. Students not picked up at 3:15 will be waiting in the front office where an adult must sign them out.

The school reserves the right to contact MNPD/DCS for assistance if a child is left at school without explanation after 3:30 p.m. The School reserves the right to request proof of address documents after frequent late pickups.

Attendance

When students attend school daily, they have a better opportunity for higher student achievement and feel confident about their work at school and the community. Our goal is for every student to have Satisfactory Attendance, meaning that they have 8 or fewer total absences during the school year.

What We Need From You

If your student is going to be absent, please provide a signed excuse note as soon as they return for the absence to be excused. Alternatively, a physician’s office can fax an excuse to us directly at 615-884-4028. Remind messages, e-mails, and phone calls are not sufficient for excusing an absence. Parent or guardian absence notes will not be accepted after 5 absences per semester, regardless of whether the absences are consecutive or not. Physician notes will be required for students after reaching this number of absences. Additionally, absences extending beyond 3 consecutive school days will require a physician’s note to be excused. Please keep your contact information current.

Our Promise To You

• Track attendance daily.
• Notify you when your student is missing from class.
• Talk with you to understand why they were absent.
• Listen when you identify barriers or challenges causing your student to miss school and tell you about supports and resources that could help your student attend school.
• Your child’s teacher should always be your first contact. You are also welcome and encouraged to connect with our School Counselor, Ms. Julie Bollinger, and our Attendance Secretary, Ms. Hamdiya Shaban.

Absences That Can Be Counted As Excused

• Student’s personal illness (up to three days unless a doctor’s excuse is provided)
• Death in the family (up to three days with obituary provided)
• Deployment of a parent or guardian serving in the military (one day for deployment, one day for return, and up to 10 days when the service member is on temporary leave at home)
• Head lice (up to three days per infestation; must provide proof of treatment to return)
• Recognized religious holidays regularly observed by persons of the child’s faith
• Court appearance or legally mandated meetings which require the student’s presence
• Documented college visitations (up to three days per year for juniors and seniors)
• Principal-approved absences based on written parent/guardian requests for:
  • Unexpected emergencies such as car problems (only if bus transportation is not available)
  • Doctor or dental appointments
  • Other circumstances the principal deems to require absence

Late Arrivals and Early Dismissals?

All instructional time is important. Students should arrive on time and stay all day. Students arriving after 8:00 a.m. must report to the front office with an adult who will sign them in to receive an admit slip.

To request an early dismissal, a parent/guardian or approved adult listed on the student’s file must report to the office and show photo ID. Pre-K students will not be dismissed after 1:30 p.m., and K–5 students will not be dismissed after 2:30 p.m. The school may request proof of address for students with excessive tardies, early dismissals, or late pickups.

What Happens If My Student Has Too Many Late Arrivals And/Or Early Dismissals?

5 Late Arrivals

Inability to participate in any attendance celebrations or be entered into attendance-related raffles or drawings.

5 Early Dismissals

Inability to participate in any attendance celebrations or be entered into attendance-related raffles or drawings.

How Do We Celebrate Positive Attendance?

We celebrate regular school attendance in a variety of ways: whole school, grade level, classroom and individual. Students who meet these individual attendance goals will be recognized regularly throughout the year.

• Satisfactory Attendance
  • Missing 8 or less days in a school year with no more than 8 cumulative arrivals and early dismissals combined
    • Wristband – quarterly
    • Access to designated attendance celebrations
• Improved Attendance
  • Improvement in student attendance
    • Attendance Certificate
    • School Counselor Treasure Box
    • Access to designated attendance celebrations

What You Can Do

• Talk to your student about the importance of attendance.
• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
• Prepare for school the night before: finish homework, lay out clothes, and get a good night’s sleep.
• Avoid appointments and trips when school is in session.
• Make backup plans for getting to school—consider family, friends, or other parents.
• Keep track of your student’s attendance using the Campus Portal. For help, contact our Family Engagement Specialist, Ms. Carole Scates.
• You can sign up online at MNPS.org under Students & Families > Campus Portal.
• Speak to your student’s teachers if you notice changes in behavior, as they may be related to school.

Did You Know?

• Tennessee’s Compulsory Attendance Law says that children ages 6-17 must attend school and parents are responsible.
  • Five-year-olds who are already in Kindergarten must maintain regular attendance.
• Missing 10 percent (about 18 days or 2 days a month) of the school year increases the chance that your student will not read or understand math at the same level as their peers.
• Students can fall behind academically even if they miss just 1 or 2 days every few weeks.
• Late arrivals and early dismissals contribute to the loss of instructional time.
• Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher must slow down learning to help children catch up.
• Your child learns valuable social skills and can develop meaningful relationships with other students and school staff while developing positive lifelong habits.
• A student is considered truant after he or she has more than 4 unexcused absences in a school year. When a student has excessive unexcused absences, the principal may make a referral to juvenile court so the court can review the student’s attendance, if school-level actions have failed. For more information on district attendance policies, please review our district’s Student-Parent Handbook available on the MNPS website.
• Students within MNPS can attend schools outside of their school zone. To maintain enrollment at the out-of-zone school, students must maintain satisfactory attendance (attending 95 percent or more of their days enrolled).
  • If a student has 10 or more unexcused absences during a school year, they may forfeit their enrollment at their chosen out-of-zone school and be re-enrolled in their school of zone. If revocation occurs, families will be notified in writing by their out-of-zone school and the School Options Department at the Support Hub.

We miss your student when they are absent, and we value their contributions to our school.

Birthday parties are not allowed during school hours. Birthday party invitations may not be given out at school, unless invitations are brought for every child in the classroom.

Want to honor your child’s birthday at school?

• The best option is to send classroom supplies for distribution to all classmates such as pencils, playground toys, erasers, etc., or donate a book to the classroom or Media Center in honor of the child.
• Parents must inform the teacher 24 hours before a pre-packaged, individually wrapped, healthy food treat is brought in for the class. If the teacher informs you that a child in the class has a food allergy, the parent must provide an alternate treat. Examples may include pretzels, natural fruit chews, natural fruit leathers, Hippeas, single serving popcorn, etc.
• The following links from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will help you determine if the preferred snack is appropriate for a school setting.
  • Smart Snacks Nutrition Calculator 
  • Guide to Smart Snacks in School 
• All ingredients in food must be listed on labels due to food allergies and cupcakes and other snacks made with refined sugars are NOT permitted.
• Gifts and balloons are not permitted in the learning environment or on buses.

Breakfast and Lunch Provided to All Students, FREE OF CHARGE

Breakfast

Breakfast services are provided by the Hickman School Cafeteria. Students should arrive at school by 8:00 a.m. in order to enjoy breakfast. We cannot guarantee the availability of breakfast options for students who arrive after 8:00 a.m. Breakfast helps ensure a smooth start to the day and assists teachers in maximizing the first instructional minutes of each day. Breakfast is served on days that students attend a full day of school. On half-days or late start days, students are on a brunch schedule and brunch is served in lieu of breakfast and lunch.

Lunch

For lunch, students may bring a meal from home OR enjoy lunch in our cafeteria. Fast food meals are not permitted. NO CARBONATED BEVERAGES, CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES, OR CANDY ARE TO BE BROUGHT TO SCHOOL FOR A STUDENT’S LUNCH OR BREAKFAST. Juices are permitted at lunch while only unflavored water is permitted in the classroom during the instructional day.

Healthy snacks are also available at a cost to students. These purchases are limited to one per day in order to provide a balanced meal.

Buses / Transportation – MNPS Policy 6.308

The principal must approve any requests for additional passengers. A parent needs to send a note to school to request a temporary change for the student to ride a different bus or to get off at an unassigned stop. In the case of ‘sleepovers’, the Principal must receive a note from the parent/guardian of both families involved granting permission.

School Board policy SP 3.401 states: “The district provides, as a privilege, transportation to children that reside within the Davidson County.”

A bus driver’s job is an extremely difficult task. Student safety is the number 1 priority for bus transportation. The school makes every effort to support bus drivers in their efforts to provide safe transport to school for all students. Students who continue to create a dangerous environment on the bus by not following the driver’s directions will forfeit their opportunity to ride the school bus. Bus discipline is handled using progressive discipline.

The school principal or designee investigates the infraction reported by the driver. The first referral for unsafe conduct on the bus may result in a warning.

Additional Conduct Referrals

Additional conduct referrals to the office will result in a gradual loss of bus privileges, in some cases; students may lose the privilege of bus transportation for the remainder of the school year. A suspension from riding the bus will be the usual consequence for any type of physical altercation, such as a fight or assault.

Bus Rules: Hickman Hawks are Safe, Seated, and Serious

• Obey the bus driver’s instructions
• Stay in your assigned seat at all times
• Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself
• Speak in a quiet voice to your seat buddy
• Bottom to bottom, back to back
• Report concerns to the bus driver

The principal determines bus suspensions, not the drivers.

If your child is suspended from the bus we will attempt to contact a parent ASAP so you can make alternative transportation arrangements. A letter will also be sent. If a child is suspended from the school bus, they are not suspended from school. If your child misses due to a bus suspension, it will be an unexcused absence.

Cell Phones and Personal Technology - MNPS Policy 6.312

A student may possess a cellular telephone or other personal technology on school property. Use of personal technology is typically prohibited in the elementary school setting unless permission has been granted by the teacher and/or principal for a special occasion. In the elementary school, students should keep cell phones and smart watches in their backpacks, turned off.  

A student who brings his/her device to school shall do so at their own risk. Personal technology may not be used for purposes which are found to be disruptive to the school environment.

Devices will be confiscated if used without permission during school. Parents will be able to retrieve the device during office hours. Please be aware that cell phone communications with peers and to peers that contain inappropriate content, profanity, threats, or video are subject to school discipline if the information is found at school. Personal devices used to cheat are also subject to school discipline.

All students must be neatly groomed and follow the dress code below every day. Clothes should be clean and free of strong odors (e.g. smoke). Notice of any special day dress code exceptions will be communicated in advance to students and parents in writing or by call-out.

Tops

• Solid, Collared, Short or Long-Sleeved Shirts
  • includes polo or oxford/button-down styles
• Hickman Spirit T-Shirts

Midsection must be covered

Bottoms

• Denim or Twill fabric only
• Solid Blue, Black, Khaki, Brown, Gray

No rips, holes, or fraying above the knees (includes ‘fashion’ fraying)

Shoes

• Sneakers Preferred
• 'Croc’ Style Shoes WITH EXCEPTIONS
  • Participation in physical activity may be limited when wearing this style shoe for safety reasons. Crocs are discouraged.

No high-heels, flip-flops, house shoes, or Heely-style shoes.  Footwear should have a heel strap for safety.

Other

• Religious head coverings permitted
• Light- weight Jackets (worn over appropriate shirt)
• Solid hoodies and sweaters are permitted (Hoods cannot be worn indoors)

Outdoor coats should not be worn indoors.

Unless explicitly communicated otherwise, sweatpants, tights/leggings, athletic pants or shorts, pajamas, hats, and novelty/cosplay items are not permitted.

Hickman and MNPS is committed to providing a safe and secure environment. In addition, a proper learning atmosphere is essential for the education of each student. Student attire must not take away from learning and cannot be distracting or offensive to others. Parents of students who are dressed inappropriately will be contacted to bring alternate clothing articles. Repeated infractions may result in disciplinary action. School leadership reserves the right to change the dress code with proper notice given at any time.

Updated 2025-06-30

Student Health and Illness Guidelines

Your child’s health is extremely important to us, and we need your help in maintaining a healthy environment for all our children. Please be protective of your child and other children by not sending your child to school if he/she exhibits any of the following signs of illness: fever above 100 degrees, diarrhea, and/or vomiting.

• Any child with these symptoms must be kept at home a full 24 hours without symptoms and without the use of fever-reducing medication before returning to school.
• Head Lice – If your child should become infested with head lice (live bugs), it is the policy of the district that he/she may not return to school until you have obtained a statement from your physician or the Health Department stating that your child is lice free. You may visit Lentz Health Center for a health care release (free of cost). A student’s absence will only be excused for three days after being sent home for infestations.
• Strep Throat – Students should not return to school until at least 24 hours after beginning antibiotic therapy and being fever free.
• Communicable Disease – If a child develops chickenpox, mumps, measles, strep throat, or “pink eye”, your child must have a doctor’s statement stating the child is not contagious before returning to school.
• T.C.A. § 63-1-173 prevents government employees from assisting in the evaluation and/or treatment of non-emergent care needs of a minor without the written consent of the minor’s legal guardian.
  • At a very basic level, this means we are not permitted to assist in the application of a band aid OR take a child’s temperature without the legal guardian’s written consent.
  • Consent forms are being sent home in the first day packet and are good for 1 school year only.
  • Consent may also be granted online via the MNPS Permissions Portal

School Visitors and Volunteers

The safety of all members of our school community is of the utmost importance to the Administration at Hickman Elementary.

During the school day, defined as between the hours of 7:45 and 3:15, only visitors with a scheduled and approved educational purpose for their visit will be allowed access beyond the front office area and community room.

School Visitors

All visitors must report directly to the office, show photo identification, sign in, and obtain a visitor’s badge. Faculty and staff members will challenge anyone outside of the office who does not have a visitor’s badge clearly displayed.

Our Raptor system does screen the sex offender registry and school security will be contacted if an ID is flagged. If you are a parent who is listed on the registry, please contact the school principal for information regarding access to the building or to pick up your child during the school day.

Lunch with Students

Lunch in the cafeteria with students is no longer allowed. Out of an abundance of caution around safety, in consideration of student privacy, and given the number of students in the cafeteria at any given time, we can longer allow visitors in the cafeteria.

Should you desire to have lunch with your child on their birthday, please call the office a minimum of 24 hours in advance so that we can determine if your visit can be accommodated in the Community Room for lunch with your child.

School Sponsored Events

Parents are welcome at all school sponsored events. In most all cases, these events will be held in the gym and access to the greater school community will be prevented through the use of a locked barricade.

School Volunteers

• All volunteers must register in the school office. Teachers should know that you are coming so they can plan to optimize your involvement.
• Parents or volunteers are not to be in classrooms unless a staff member is present.
• Volunteers should never be in a room alone with a child
• Parents and volunteers are expected to work on school related items while in the school building during regular school hours.
• Volunteers who may interact with students are required to submit to a background check through the Pencil Foundation.
• Due to the possibility of interruption to instruction, young children may not accompany parents outside of the community room while volunteering. Young children are welcome during parent meetings.
• The use of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and vape style devices are not permitted on school property.

Field Trip Volunteer Guidelines

• Adults wanting to attend a field trip for grades K-2 may do so while providing your own transportation. Other children of any age are not permitted to attend.
• Adult chaperones for 3-5 grade field trips are not permitted outside of school personnel.
• Parents are not permitted to ride the school bus with students.
• Entry fees are the responsibility of the person attending and will be paid directly to the vendor, not through the school.
• Adults supervising students on overnight fieldtrips must undergo background checks and fingerprinting.
• All students going on the field trip must ride the school bus to and from the destination.
• No smoking on school grounds or on location of a school sponsored field trip.