School Hours
| Grades K-5 |
8:50am-3:05pm |
| Morning PreK |
8:50am-11:20am |
| Afternoon PreK |
12:35pm-3:05pm |
It is important that your child does not arrive prior to 8:30am, as there is no supervision before school hours. Students are considered tardy to school if they arrive after 8:50am. On early dismissal days students are dismissed at 12:35pm, after eating lunch. Please telephone the school at (301)595-2940 to report your child's absence. A written note to your child's teacher explaining the nature of the absence, should follow any absence.
Please select the link above to learn more about our school improvement, which includes: student and stakeholder focus, Faculty and staff focus, leadership, strategic planning, performance results, & measurement, analysis, and knowledge management.
Lunch and Breakfast Programs
Children in Grades K - 5 may bring lunch or purchase a school lunch, which includes milk. Milk can be purchased separately. The breakfast program begins daily at 8:30 am. The meal prices for 2010-2011 school year are:
- Breakfast: $1.30
- Lunch: $2.50
- Milk: $0.60
Arrival Procedures
Parent Drop-Off (aka Kiss & Ride)
- Please note that there is NO PARKING in the school parking lot during arrival and dismissal.
- Due to lack of space in the parking lot, traffic will need to stay in a single file line throughout this process.
- Parents should use our Parent Drop-Off Area starting as early as 8:30 a.m. (8:20 a.m. for breakfast).
- Parents should enter the drop off area in front of the main entrance of the building and pull forward to the basketball courts, because students will enter the building through our gym doors. Parents must remain in their vehicles during this process to help with safety and efficiency.
- From 8:30 a.m. to 8:55 a.m., the parking lot will be closed unless you are using our Kiss and Ride area. Therefore, parents wishing to enter the building during this timeframe should park on Robey Road and walk to the gym or the main office.
- The parent drop-off area closes at 8:55 a.m. and the doors to gym entrance will also be locked at that time.
- The official school day starts at 8:50 a.m. Students arriving after 8:55 a.m. (tardy) should enter the main entrance in the front of the building. Between 8:55-9:00 a.m., students will be sent straight to their classrooms (teachers will mark them tardy at this time). After 9:00 a.m., parents will need to accompany their child to the main office to sign them in.
- Note: Staff members will be helping to facilitate this entire process.
Walkers
- Walkers should report to the basketball courts/blacktop area starting as early as 8:30a.m. (8:20 a.m. for breakfast). Please ensure your child does not arrive any earlier than this time, because there isn’t any adult supervision and safety is everyone’s primary concern.
- Greencastle has been allocated one crossing guard. Our families needing to cross Robey Road will have to walk to the crosswalk to allow the officer to cross them.
Dismissal Procedures
Parent Drop-Off (aka Kiss & Ride)
- Please note that there is NO PARKING in the school parking lot during arrival and dismissal.
- Due to lack of space in the parking lot, traffic will need to stay in a single file line throughout this process.
- Parents should use our Kiss and Ride area starting as early as 3:00 p.m., because students aren’t dismissed until 3:05 p.m. At that time, students in grades 2 through 5 will report to the basketball courts/blacktop area for pick-up. Kindergarten and first grade students will be dismissed from the gym directly to walking parents or to parents waiting in the Kiss and Ride area via radio.
- Parents should enter the drop off area in front of the main entrance of the building and pull forward to the basketball courts/blacktop, because students will exit from the blacktop area. Parents must remain in their vehicles during this process to help with safety and efficiency. However, if a parent desires to pick-up their child, they should park on Robey Road and walk to the basketball courts/blacktop area.
- Note: Staff members will be helping to facilitate this process.
Walkers
- Walkers will be dismissed at 3:05 p.m.
- Students will leave the building to the basketball courts/blacktop area. Parents or older siblings picking up students should wait away from the building to allow students exit the building in an orderly, safe fashion.
- Families that need to cross Robey Road should take the sidewalk in front of the building to the crosswalk area and wait for the officer to cross them. Because of safety concerns, families will not be permitted to cross Robey Road in front of the school outside of the designated area.
Castle Connection Meetings
Castle Connection Meetings will occur on the first day of the school week. These meetings involve the whole school to build a sense of community and family for our school. At the meetings we conduct the pledge of allegiance, share important announcements, recognize positive student behavior, and share the message of the week. Students that arrive late to the Castle Connection Meetings are sent to the school library until the meeting is finished.
Cell Phones
In accordance with MCPS policy, students may not carry cell phones to school. If you feel that your child needs a cell phone, please submit a letter to the principal, explaining why your child needs a cell phone. Upon receipt of the letter, the principal will make a decision and notify the parents.
Birthday Celebrations
Student birthdays will be recognized during the morning announcements. If a parent would like to celebrate a child's birthday, please contact the child's teacher to make arrangements. Birthday celebrations may only be small and purposeful, and for the last 15 minutes of the instructional day.
Medication and Health Room
Medication will not be administered without written permission from the parent/guardian and the child's physician (School Form 525-13). New forms are needed each school year. The medication must be delivered to the school by the parent/guardian.
Dress Code
Your child should wear appropriate and comfortable clothes to school. Appropriate shoes should be worn for physical education and recess. High heels and flip-flops are not suitable. If your child comes to school inappropriately dressed, we will try to loan him/her a tee shirt upon availability, or phone a parent/guardian for assistance. Although we respect the right of children to select the clothing of choice, we must also be sure that the selection is responsible and does not offend others, not interfere with the educational process.
*Students are not allowed to wear shoes that have built in wheels. Please make sure that if your child wears these shoes, that they have completely removed the wheels before going to school.
When to Keep your Child Home from School
Please select the following file, to find more information about this topic: Keeping Your Child Home from School (doc)
Asbestos Regulation Information
Please view the following pdf for information regarding regulation.