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Visitors
Visitors are welcome at Liza Jackson, and we’re always glad to see you, but for the safety and security of our students we require that everyone check in at the front desk and wear a nametag at all times. Please don’t be offended if someone stops you and asks for ID or your visitor’s tag. It’s for the safety of our children!
Unescorted persons under the age of 18 are not allowed on campus without the express permission of the principal.
Parent Conferences
We are committed to strong parent-school partnerships. Conferences can be arranged by calling the front office at 833-3321. Conferences can be arranged to include all of a student's core subject teachers.
Please don’t hesitate to call or arrange a conference!
Before and After School Care
Under the direction of Ms. Kim Gonzalez, the Liza Jackson Preparatory School Before and After Care gives our parents flexibility with their hectic work day while providing a safe and caring atmosphere for our students.
Hours of operation are from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Enrolled students may purchase breakfast in the cafeteria. All students are dismissed to their classrooms at 8:20 a.m. Pre-K students are escorted to their classrooms and signed in by before and after school care staff. In the afternoon students are picked up or checked in at 3:00 p.m. Snack is provided as well as time for homework, recess and scheduled activities. After care ends promptly at 6:00 p.m.
Rates:
Registration
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New Student:$30
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Returning Student: $25.00 annually
Before care $25.00 weekly*
After care $50.00 weekly*
Both $70.00 weekly*
A
10% discount is offered for each additional enrolled sibling.
Holiday camps and care during single-day school holidays will be available if
there are at least 25 students who enroll in advance and whose parents pay in
advance. The fee will be refunded if the camp is cancelled due to low
enrollment, but will be non-refundable otherwise.
Please consult Ms. Gonzalez for availability.
LJPS Before and After care is available to Liza Jackson students only.
If you have any questions please call Mrs. Gonzalez at 833-3460 ext 214.
Checking a Student In During the Day
We hope parents will make every effort to get their children to school on time so that they can get the maximum benefit from the school day. However, we know that occasionally a student must be checked in after the start of school. There is a sign-in book in the front office, where the secretary on duty will write the student a pass to class.
Checking a Student Out During the Day
Parents needing to check students out early can do so in the front office. For your child’s safety and security the secretary on duty will check the ID of anyone checking students out. If there is a custody issue or other problem involving who is or is not allowed to check out your student, please be sure to keep the school updated.
Students will not be allowed to leave campus with any adult not listed on the emergency card without written permission from the parent. Similarly, students may not ride home with another student or ride a different bus from their usual one without written permission from the parent. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we know you realize that care must be taken where our kids’ safety is concerned.
Students who must leave school early for sports or other school events are responsible for determining what they missed and making up the work. They may not, however, interrupt the classes as they prepare to leave.
Daily Dismissal Procedures
As we finalize our schedule we will update this page with the particulars of dismissal time, bus routes, parent pick-up traffic patterns, etc.
No student may remain on campus after dismissal unless he/she is participating in a club or other extracurricular activity, or receiving extra help from a teacher. Under no circumstances will students be permitted to remain unsupervised on campus.
Early Dismissal
Several times each year Liza Jackson students are released early so that teachers may attend training sessions. Those days are always announced far in advance in flyers, newsletters, on the website, and on the daily announcements.
Students and families should have advance plans in place for the early release days. Often students will decide on the spur of the moment to try to arrange alternate transportation, sleep-overs, get-togethers, etc. For the safety of your child no changes will be made without written notification from the custodial parent or unless someone on the approved pick-up list checks him/her out. It should be noted that these days are very busy in the front office and it may not be possible for a student to make a last-minute call for permission.
School Hours
Before School Care Begins: 6:30 am
Breakfast: 8:15 am
(Optional, for fee—$.75)
Class Begins: 8:30 am
Class Ends: 3:10 pm
After Care Ends: 6:00 p.m.
For safety and supervision purposes, students may not arrive at LJPS earlier than 8:15 AM unless they are enrolled in the Before-School Program.
Library/Media Center
The LJPS library is open each school day from 8:30 until 2:30.
The two librarians, Ms. Gladstone and Ms. Laird, welcome students throughout
the day as they come in to check out books or do research.
Ms. Gladstone and Ms. Laird also teach library and research skills to students in all grades through regularly scheduled lessons.
Internet access and online subscriptions to reference materials make it possible for students to do their research with the latest tools and information.
Link to Encyclopedia Britannica Online . Our school username is ljps and our school password is lions .
Lockers
Lockers are provided for storage of students’ personal items, books, etc. It is each student’s responsibility to keep his/her combinations private and lock up all property to prevent loss or theft.
Use of lockers at LJPS is a privilege that may be denied or revoked by the school administration.
Lockers are assigned to each student by name. Students may not share a locker or switch with others.
Combination locks will be issued along with the locker. The locks have a key override system so that they can be opened in the event that combinations are forgotten, the lock is damaged, etc. No other locks may be used on Liza Jackson lockers. Locks other than those issued will be removed through the use of bolt cutters, which results in destruction of the lock.
Students should keep their combination private. Liza Jackson cannot be responsible for loss, theft, or damage to a student’s property if they make their combination known to others.
Students are responsible for the locks issued them. Students who have lost locks will be charged a $6.00 replacement fee.
Decorations in and on student lockers must be removable and non-permanent. Stickers, stick-on paper, etc. are not removable and therefore must not be used. (Tip: Magnets stick to the lockers.)
Items deemed by the LJPS administration to be distractions to the learning environment, targets of theft, inducement to misconduct, or otherwise inappropriate for possession at school are not allowed on campus, and therefore should not be placed in student lockers. Such items include: electronic communications devices; electronic audio, video, or game devices; large sums of money; Pokemon, Yu-gee-oh, or other trading cards or objects; sports equipment, except as needed by Liza Jackson team members; skateboards or other similar transportation devices; and other items deemed by the administration as inappropriate for school.
Under Florida Statute 232.356 (3) Liza Jackson Preparatory School has the right to search students’ lockers and storage areas.
Buses
Bus routes for the school are developed carefully by our transportation director. Students living farther than 2 miles from school and in the south end of the county are eligible for the service. Bus stops are not necessarily at students’ front doors. Many are consolidated as drop-off points, where parents drop students off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. For further information on the routes and procedures, please call LJPS and ask for the transportation director.
Safety is the utmost concern of the bus driver. Students must remain seated and orderly so that the driver’s attention can remain on driving. Students are required to observe the same standards of conduct on the school bus and at the bus stop as they do at school. Inappropriate language, roughhousing, and other misconduct cannot be tolerated. Failure to follow directions, misconduct, and disrespect may lead to suspension of bus privileges or other disciplinary action.
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Permission to Photograph or Videotape
Like our Internet Access Permission, the form giving permission for your child to be photographed or videoed for news articles or other media use is integrated into our enrollment form. Such permission is only necessary if your child is taped or photographed for use by the media and outside of school use. Under no circumstances will classroom photographs or videos be used for any purpose outside our school setting without parents’ express permission.
Illness or Administration of Medication
LJPS has a full-time registered nurse who is on duty during regular school hours. Students are referred to the nurse by classroom teachers. Students must have a pass to be seen, and will return to class with a pass from the nurse.
Illness or Injury: In the event a student becomes ill at school, the family will be contacted and asked to pick the child up in the nurse’s office. If an injury occurs that must be cared for by a physician, the parent will be contacted immediately. Should it prove impossible to contact the parent in a timely manner the student will be taken to a physician for emergency care. The school will not assume financial responsibility for any medical services administered to students.
Medication: According to state law, students may not bring medication of any kind to school. This includes aspirin and other over-the-counter medication. Parents must transport the medication to school, fill out a Parent Release Form, and leave the medication in the possession of the school nurse, who will keep it in locked storage. The authorization and the medication must be labeled with the student’s name, the name of the medication, dosage, and time to be given. The nurse will dispense the medication according to the direction of the doctor or parent. The nurse’s office does not provide any medication other than that brought in by parents.
Students are not permitted to have any kind of medication in their possession in school or on school transportation. The only exception is a medically prescribed inhaler. All medication brought to school will be delivered to the nurse or her trained designee.
If a parent or guardian provides written authorization to administer medication to their child, they understand that the staff member doing so is administering the medication voluntarily and that Liza Jackson Preparatory School and/or any staff member is not responsible or liable for any and all problems resulting from the medication or the administration of the medication. The parent or guardian remains legally responsible for all medication administered to their child or taken by their child. Under no circumstances will the nurse, a teacher or other staff member administer the first dosage of a new medication.
Student Records: Privacy and Right-of Review
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student's education records. The law applies to all schools which receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records.
Parents have the right to inspect and review all of the student's education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of materials in education records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents to inspect the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.
Parents have the right to request that a school correct records believed to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent has the right to place a statement with the record commenting on the contested information in the record.
Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent before releasing any information from a student's record. However, the law allows schools to disclose records, without consent, to the following parties: school employees who have a need to know in order to fulfill their professional responsibilities; other schools to which a student is transferring; certain government officials in order to carry out lawful functions; appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student; organizations conducting certain studies for the school; accrediting organizations; individuals who have obtained court orders or subpoenas; persons who need to know in cases of health and safety emergencies; and State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.
School official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member; a person serving on the Board of Directors; a person or company with whom the school has contracted to perform a special task (attorney, speech therapist, etc.); a parent or other person serving on a special, official committee such as a disciplinary or family support committee, or assisting another school official in performing his/her professional responsibilities.
Schools may also disclose, without consent, "directory" type information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, should a school decide to disclose such information, the school must notify the parents and allow them a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them.
Non-Discrimination
Liza Jackson Preparatory School adheres to a policy which prohibits sexual harassment and discrimination in the educational or work environment.
Discrimination: Discrimination against students and/or the opportunity to participate in appropriate programs, services, and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, parenthood, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, or social and family background is prohibited.
Complaint Procedure: Every effort should be made to resolve the problem at the individual, class, and school level. Students should submit a written report to a teacher or principal. Adults may file an informal complaint to the principal. If the situation cannot be resolved informally, a formal complaint should be directed to: President, Board of Directors, Liza Jackson Preparatory School 546 Mary Esther Cut Off, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, 32548.
Section 504 Notification: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Acts of 1973 provides that a person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities will be treated equally under the law. If you feel you have a child who has a special need that would necessitate a change in the way he/she is instructed, please notify the school in writing. In order to receive accommodations, the special need must be verified by medical documentation. For further information, please contact our guidance counselor at 833-3321.
Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment by an employee or student to another individual is strictly prohibited. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
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Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term of an individual’s employment, educational success, or participation in school related activities, or
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Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment/educational decisions affecting such individual, or
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Such conduct has the purpose of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s participation in school and school-related activities, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or educational environment.
Equal Opportunity Employer: Liza Jackson Preparatory School is an equal employment opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs, and not on race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other factor protected by law.
Americans With Disabilities Act: It is the policy of Liza Jackson Preparatory School to comply with the relevant and applicable provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). LJPS will not discriminate against any qualified employee or job applicant with respect to any terms, privileges, or conditions of employment because of a person’s physical or mental disability. LJPS will also make reasonable accommodations wherever necessary for all employees or applicants with disabilities, provided that the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform the essential duties and assignments connected with the job and provided that any accommodations made do not impose an undue hardship on Liza Jackson Preparatory School.
Uniforms
Uniforms are required for all students at Liza Jackson. For specific information on uniforms for the different grades, select a link below.
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Student Support Team
One of the many unique features of our school is our Student Support Team. This team consists of teachers, parents, and administrators who meet to discuss ways to assist students who are less successful than they can be. Strategies and interventions are discussed that involve the individual classroom, the home, school-wide resources, and often resources in the community.
Ms. Christine Bendus is our Student Support Coordinator. Some of her responsibilities include daily interventions with students, monitoring progress of our students with special needs, overseeing our remediation program, and working directly with families and students to plan for student success.
No one is “on their own” at LJPS. We all have a common interest in the success of all our students. The Student Support Team is a dynamic example of that commitment.
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