Brighten Academy Policies
Our policies play a critical role in helping every student achieve the highest level of academic success and providing a safe, respectful environment for all members of the Brighten Academy community.
It’s important for every member of the school community to read and understand current policies. Our website is the main tool for Brighten Academy to communicate policies with parents and the community at large, and now you can access school policies online; stay informed about updates, changes, and deadlines; and easily clarify details from your home or office.
Whether it’s ensuring compliance with federal and state attendance laws, providing a clear definition of and course of action for dealing with sexual harassment, or keeping our students and staff safe through our visitor and field trip policies, Brighten Academy works hard to keep our learning environment productive and safe.
Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or comments on school policies. The link below will direct you to the Governing Board's website, and you can scroll down to view the most recently approved Policy Manual.
It’s important for every member of the school community to read and understand current policies. Our website is the main tool for Brighten Academy to communicate policies with parents and the community at large, and now you can access school policies online; stay informed about updates, changes, and deadlines; and easily clarify details from your home or office.
Whether it’s ensuring compliance with federal and state attendance laws, providing a clear definition of and course of action for dealing with sexual harassment, or keeping our students and staff safe through our visitor and field trip policies, Brighten Academy works hard to keep our learning environment productive and safe.
Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or comments on school policies. The link below will direct you to the Governing Board's website, and you can scroll down to view the most recently approved Policy Manual.
Attendance Policy
ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCES: Your child's attendance patterns often have a direct link with achievement. Frequent absences hurt academic performance. Georgia State Law mandates that unless children are ill, they must be in school on time every day. Absences are considered excused for the following reasons:
TARDINESS is a serious detriment to each child's and each classroom's success. When a child is tardy, it prevents him/her from benefit of the most important part of a school day when the day's work is outlined. Tardiness is a serious distraction for the teacher and students who are punctual, because it detracts from the progress of the class. Although excessive tardiness is when a child is late in excess of 30 minutes, the habitual tardiness of 5 to 10 minutes is equally detrimental. This is typically the parents' responsibility. Please assist your child to learn the valuable lesson of personal responsibility by setting the example for punctuality. It is a most valuable life skill.
EARLY DISMISSAL: If a child needs to be taken out of school before the regular dismissal:
- Student illness
- Student medical appointment
- Bereavement (some restrictions apply ... please contact the school office).
- Some religious observances
TARDINESS is a serious detriment to each child's and each classroom's success. When a child is tardy, it prevents him/her from benefit of the most important part of a school day when the day's work is outlined. Tardiness is a serious distraction for the teacher and students who are punctual, because it detracts from the progress of the class. Although excessive tardiness is when a child is late in excess of 30 minutes, the habitual tardiness of 5 to 10 minutes is equally detrimental. This is typically the parents' responsibility. Please assist your child to learn the valuable lesson of personal responsibility by setting the example for punctuality. It is a most valuable life skill.
EARLY DISMISSAL: If a child needs to be taken out of school before the regular dismissal:
- Come to the office to sign the student out.
- Please do not go to the classroom to get your child.
- The office will send for your child.
- Please note that there is an early-checkout cutoff 25 minutes before the dismissal bell, to ensure your child's safety in the transition.
Visitor Policy
Parents are welcome to visit their child's classroom anytime. To ensure visitations are productive for both school and visitor, please follow these guidelines:
We ask that you do not interrupt the classroom schedule by going directly to the classroom. All contacts with students should be made through the school office.
- All visitors must register in the school office (Ed. Code Section 32211) prior to visiting the classroom or playground.
- Wear a visitor identification sticker in a visible place.
- Provide prior notice to teachers and staff to arrange appropriate times and days.
- Set up a time before or after school to discuss your observation with the teacher, not during class time.
We ask that you do not interrupt the classroom schedule by going directly to the classroom. All contacts with students should be made through the school office.
Field Trips
State law requires that all people having close contact with students in schools must have verification of having passed a TB test. Please register the results of your TB test in the school office. Without this, you will not be allowed to provide parent volunteer service in the classroom.
Field trips are planned by teachers and designed to enrich the curriculum. A note and permission slip will be sent to you in advance of any fieldtrip and will include cost, place, departure time and dress. The permission slip must be signed and returned to your child's teacher in order for the student to participate in the fieldtrip.
Parents are frequently asked to chaperone fieldtrips, and teachers rely on these parents to provide supervision for a group of students. While fieldtrips are always fun for the students, they are intended to be extensions of the classroom curriculum and are learning activities. This is the parents' opportunity to participate with his/her child in an educational activity and to assist the classroom teacher. Unless it is specifically a family activity, we request that parents not bring other siblings along on fieldtrips. Take this opportunity to give special attention to your child and play a crucial role in making this an important learning activity for the children in the class. The teacher is depending upon your undivided attention.
We are grateful to the Brighten Academy School PTA for providing all grade levels with a generous fieldtrip fund to help pay for the cost of these activities. In addition the PTA has a scholarship fund so that no one will be excluded from a fieldtrip due to cost.
Field trips are planned by teachers and designed to enrich the curriculum. A note and permission slip will be sent to you in advance of any fieldtrip and will include cost, place, departure time and dress. The permission slip must be signed and returned to your child's teacher in order for the student to participate in the fieldtrip.
Parents are frequently asked to chaperone fieldtrips, and teachers rely on these parents to provide supervision for a group of students. While fieldtrips are always fun for the students, they are intended to be extensions of the classroom curriculum and are learning activities. This is the parents' opportunity to participate with his/her child in an educational activity and to assist the classroom teacher. Unless it is specifically a family activity, we request that parents not bring other siblings along on fieldtrips. Take this opportunity to give special attention to your child and play a crucial role in making this an important learning activity for the children in the class. The teacher is depending upon your undivided attention.
We are grateful to the Brighten Academy School PTA for providing all grade levels with a generous fieldtrip fund to help pay for the cost of these activities. In addition the PTA has a scholarship fund so that no one will be excluded from a fieldtrip due to cost.
Complaint Procedures
Individuals, agencies, organizations, students, and interested third parties have the right to file a complaint regarding a public education agency's alleged violation of federal and state law including allegations of unlawful discrimination in specified programs and activities that receive state or federal funding. Such complaints include allegations that the local educational agency has failed to implement a student's individual education program (IEP). Complaints must be filed in writing with the appropriate compliance officer identified below. Complaints alleging discrimination must be filed not later than six months from the date the alleged discrimination occurred or the date the complainant first obtained knowledge of the facts of the alleged discrimination, unless the time for filing is extended by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
In accordance with adopted procedures, complaints will be investigated and a written decision sent to the complainant within sixty (60) days. If the complainant is not satisfied with the local educational agency's decision, the complainant may file within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the decision a written appeal with the Georgia Department of Education. A copy of the local educational agency's policy and complaint procedures may be obtained through the superintendent's office.
Complainants also may pursue available civil law remedies, including, but not limited to, injunctions, restraining orders, or other orders in federal or state courts. Further information about such remedies may be available through public or private interest attorneys, the Sonoma County Lawyer Referral Service, Legal Aide Society, a mediator, or dispute resolution service.
For complaints concerning: Adult Education, Child Development, National School Lunch program, Consolidated Categorical Aide, Migrant Education, Special Education, Vocational Education.
Please contact the School for any questions.
In accordance with adopted procedures, complaints will be investigated and a written decision sent to the complainant within sixty (60) days. If the complainant is not satisfied with the local educational agency's decision, the complainant may file within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the decision a written appeal with the Georgia Department of Education. A copy of the local educational agency's policy and complaint procedures may be obtained through the superintendent's office.
Complainants also may pursue available civil law remedies, including, but not limited to, injunctions, restraining orders, or other orders in federal or state courts. Further information about such remedies may be available through public or private interest attorneys, the Sonoma County Lawyer Referral Service, Legal Aide Society, a mediator, or dispute resolution service.
For complaints concerning: Adult Education, Child Development, National School Lunch program, Consolidated Categorical Aide, Migrant Education, Special Education, Vocational Education.
Please contact the School for any questions.
