• Frequently Asked Questions

    1. What time does school begin and end?

    Students are expected to arrive on time and ready to learn. All students should be in their seats by 7:45 AM.  If your child eats breakfast at school, he/she must arrive in time to eat and be in class by 7:45. Students are tardy for school at 7:45. All tardy students must be signed in by an adult. Habitual tardies will result in meeting with the attendance clerk and administrators. Excessive tardies (10 and over) will be referred to the District Attendance Office and could subsequently be turned in to Family Court. School ends each day at 2:10.

    Morning arrival: You may walk your child(ren) to class the first day of school.  Every day after, your child will be expected to walk themselves to the cafeteria for breakfast or to their classroom to begin the school day. If they need help the first couple of days of school, staff members will escort them to their designated area.

    1. What is the earliest I can drop my child off at school in the morning?

    Students are permitted to arrive at 7:00 AM. Students will report to the assigned area depending on their grade. Parents with specific concerns should speak directly with administration.

    1. Where should I drop off and/or pick up my child?

    Car-riders will enter and exit the campus from the Springdale Road entrance. Car riders are not allowed to use a separate entrance off Springdale Road that is designated for buses. Car riders must have a school issued car tag to show the staff. All others will be asked to park, enter the building, and show a valid ID. Bus riders will enter and exit the campus from the side bus entrance next to Rock Hill High School. 

    1. What do I need to do when I need to pick my child up early?

    The student is to bring a note signed by his/her parent to the school office. The note should include the date of early release, the time of pick-up, and a contact number. The parent/guardian must come to the main office to sign his/her child out. Upon completion of all forms, the receptionist/secretary will contact the classroom teacher to dismiss the student. The student should report to the main office. NO EARLY DISMISSALS ARE ALLOWED AFTER 1:45 PM.

    1. What do I do if my child is late for school?

    If a student arrives after 7:45 AM, he/she will have to be signed in at the main office. Unless a medical excuse is provided, the student will be marked tardy. Students are expected to arrive on time and ready to learn. Students are tardy for school at 7:45 AM. Habitual tardies will result in a meeting with the attendance clerk and administrators. Excessive tardies (10 and over) will be referred to the District Attendance Office and could subsequently be turned in to Family Court.

    1. How do I contact my child's teacher or request a conference with my child's teacher?

    We encourage parents and teachers to establish communication early in the school year. Teachers can be reached via email or by telephone during their planning periods. If your child’s teacher is unavailable, you may leave a message. Your call will be returned as soon as possible. We value your child’s instructional time and ask for your consideration during class time. Academic teachers’ planning periods are during the time of your child’s specials. Many of the teachers use ClassDojo. Information about that will be sent home by the individual teachers.

    1. What do I do when my child is absent from school?

    When your student returns to school, he/she is to bring a note including their name, date of absence, reason for absence, and contact telephone number for verification. If the absence is medically related, please provide the doctor’s excuse.

    1. Will my child be issued textbooks?

    Textbooks are issued to all students. The student is responsible for all textbooks issued to him/her and will be required to pay for lost or damaged books.

    1. Is my child allowed to bring a backpack to school?

    Yes, students may bring backpacks to school.

    1. How long is my child allowed to stay after school?

    Students should be picked immediately following the end of the school day, which is 2:10 PM. If you arrive after 2:35pm, you will have to come in and personally sign out your student.  In the event of a late pick up due to an emergency situation, parents should notify the front office. 

    1. What do I do if my child takes medication or has food allergies that require medication?

    Visit the Health Services webpages on the School District's website and complete permission forms for Prescribed/Non-Prescribed medications and Diet Order form.  Bring these completed and signed by your physician, along with the medication, to the school nurse during the first day or week of school.

    1. How will my child see the school nurse if needed?

    Students may report to the school nurse with permission from a classroom teacher. All medication (including Tylenol, aspirin, cold medicine, prescription, and over-the-counter medications) taken at school, should be signed over to the school nurse by a parent/guardian. IMPORTANT MEDICATION POLICY UPDATE: A written order from a physician will now be required for ANY PRESCRIPTION DRUG that is to be administered at school. The revised medication forms will be on the school and district websites. Please understand that prescription medication cannot be given at school without a doctor’s order. Please call the school nurse with any questions regarding the policy change.

    1. How much are school meals?

    All breakfast and lunch meals are free for every student in Rock Hill School District.

    1. If a violation of the behavior code occurs, what methods are used to address the behavior?

    Independence Elementary will use a proactive approach to behavior issues. Incentives are provided for good behavior. However, should an incident occur, there are interventions that may be used. These interventions include: verbal warning, notes home, parental contact via telephone and/or email, parent/student/and/or team conferences, behavior intervention, out-of-school suspension, and a visit and/or placement at Tier 3.

    School-wide discipline referrals will be used once the classroom discipline plan has been exhausted. 

    Minor discipline offenses will be documented and handled by the classroom teacher. One copy of the Written Referral will be sent home to be signed by the parents and another copy will be retained by the teacher. In addition, phone calls/emails to parents are highly encouraged. 

    Major discipline offenses will be documented by the teacher and handled by the principal or assistant principal. Parents will be contacted, one copy of the Written Referral will be sent home to be signed, and another copy will be retained by the teacher.

    1. May I visit my child's school?

    Parents are welcome to visit Independence. We ask that you follow these guidelines:  

      • All visitors sign-in at the main office with a valid Driver's License.
      • Parents who wish to visit a class should make an appointment through an administrator.
      • Conferences may be setup through the Classroom Teacher, Guidance Counselor, or Assistant Principal. 
    1. How can I get involved with my child's school?

    Independence Elementary acknowledges parents as full partners, with teachers and staff, in the education of their children.  Independence maintains an open, friendly environment and welcomes parents to visit the school and their children’s classroom. Our concept of parents as partners goes far beyond the traditional understanding of parent involvement. An involved parent is one who is involved in their children's whole life and who has the opportunity to be active in nearly every aspect of the school’s operation. Parents can support their child’s learning in a number of ways. We invite parents to join us in this partnership, committing themselves in a variety of ways. If you are there to volunteer, please inform the office staff, so they can also have you record your volunteer hours properly. 

    If you would like to come and observe your child’s class, please check in at the front office when you enter the building. In a proactive measure to ensure the safety of students in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, a nation-wide offender check will be conducted on each visitor by the district’s School Check in System. Upon entering the school, all visitors/volunteers will sign in to the School Check In System on the computer in the office.  A printed visitor/volunteer badge will serve as verification of approval to enter the building/event. Then you will be given access into the school areas. You must present a valid driver’s license or state issued identification to visit within the school.

    Ways to Volunteer

    Each volunteer must be approved and registered with the district.  It’s easy to do.  Fill out the web form, Volunteer Form. You should receive an email within a week stating your volunteer status and a card will arrive in the mail.

    Classroom helper                                           Substitute                               

    Shelving books in the Media Center              Gardening/Landscaping

    School Improvement Committee                   Fund Raising

    School Communications                                Tutor                                     

    Reading with/to Students                               Active PTO Member

    Business Partner Coordinator                        Volunteer Coordinator

    Etc…….                                    

    1. What are the general supplies that are needed for school?

    Please refer to the district supply list. Teachers may also request other materials.  

    1. When is the first day of school?

    The first day of school for the 2024-2025 elementary school year is August 8, 2024. K5 students will start on a staggered schedule. 

    1. What do I do if my child takes medication or has food allergies that require medication?

    Visit the Health Services webpages on the School Distict's website and complete permission forms for Prescribed/Non-Prescribed medications and Diet Order form.  Bring these completed and signed by your physician, along with the medication, to the school nurse during the first day or week of school.

    1. How will I stay informed about what is going on?

    Every teacher should be sending home weekly communication through some form. Parents should check their student's bag for Communication Folders that come home every Tuesday for weekly information and updates. Independence sends an Online Newsletter to email addresses each month. Please be sure that we have your correct email address. We have a variety of electronic ways to stay in touch. We send home information through ClassDojo, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can find links to all of these sites on our school homepage. We send out regular updates, so we need your updated email address!