About

Our mission at Scotts Branch Elementary School is to provide a quality education that encourages each student to embrace every opportunity to learn. School administrators and our professional educators are dedicated to the task of empowering young learners by developing them into proficient readers, life-long independent learners and dynamic citizens.

School Hours and Attendance

The building will open at 8:35 am. You are asked not to drop your child off at school prior to 8:35 am as there is no supervision prior to that time. Buses will begin dropping off students at 8:35 am and all students will enter through the front door or cafeteria of SBES to their assigned area. At 8:45 am teachers will escort the students to the classroom. Breakfast is available to students until 8:55 am. At 8:55 am students are considered late and must report to the office for a late slip. Morning announcements will begin at 8:55am. Please arrange your schedule to have your child arrive on time in order to take advantage of every moment of his/her learning experience.

At 3:10 pm the bell rings and we begin afternoon announcements. At the conclusion of announcements students are dismissed by grade levels for walkers and car riders followed by bus riders. If you need to have your child dismissed early we ask that you send a note to your child’s teacher and to get them before 3:00 pm. Children will not be dismissed between 3:00 pm and 3:10 pm. Parents are asked to wait in the lobby and not go to the classrooms during dismissal.

Inclement Weather

In the event of inclement weather, parents should listen to the radio or watch television (instead of calling the school) to learn of school closings, late openings, or early dismissals. There are several places to find out information about school closings and delays:

BCPS school status information line: 410-887-5555
TV/Radio: local radio and television stations, including The Education Channel, Comcast Cable Channel 73.
Internet: www.bcps.org or www.schoolsout.com

Please do not call schools or media outlets for this information.

School Dress Code

Students are expected to dress appropriately for school. Parents should not send students to school in items of dress that will be detrimental to classroom instruction or that will create distraction. Parents are asked to use sound judgment in the choice of garments. Footwear, such as roller skate sneakers or flips-flops and sandals that will not stay on a child's foot, are not acceptable.

Lost and Found

A "Lost and Found" will be maintained throughout the year in the cafeteria. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity four times a year. Labeling clothing, lunch boxes, book bags, and other belongings with your child's name will help minimize lost items.

Cell Phones, Games, Toys

We realize that many students carry cell phones in order to maintain contact with parents outside of school hours. However, there are school rules relating to cell phones while the students are in school.

Cell phones are to be turned off, placed in the backpack, and put in the student’s locker.
If the above rule is not followed, the teacher will bring the cell phone to the administration. It will be the student’s responsibility to notify the parent to come in to school to retrieve the cell phone. It will not be returned directly to the student.
This procedure also applies to any toys, games, etc. that do not belong in school.

Office Appointments

All parents coming into the school to meet with an administrator should wait and check-in with one of the secretaries. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance. Therefore, the secretaries will be able to inform you when an administrator is available to meet with you. This includes prior scheduled appointments.

Field Trips

Field trips are an extension of classroom instruction and enhance BCPS curriculum. We welcome parent chaperones on our field trips. As teachers evaluate and plan for trip itineraries, student safety and the instructional value of the trip is also considered, therefore, the format of the trips may vary from year to year. For safety reasons we urge all of our chaperones to ride the bus with the students in their assigned groups. In addition, as tour guidelines, building restrictions and transportation limitations are met, the number of chaperones accompanying our students may be adjusted.

Permission slips and money for the trip are due prior to the date. A field trip is considered part of the classroom experience, and students are expected to go. Students may be prevented from going on a field trip if their behavior in school has been such that an administrator feels the student would create an unsafe environment on a trip away from school. In this case, parents and students will be notified in advance.

Parent Visits

County policy requires all visitors to report to the office to check-in and receive a visitor's badge, which must be worn throughout the duration of the visit, when they arrive at the school. In addition, parents must have a specific room and teacher to whom they will be reporting. Any volunteer work must be scheduled with the staff member ahead of time (by phone, email, or calendar). Visitors should not walk throughout the school building to other classes or staff including the administration, without a prior arranged, specific appointment. In order to further provide for the safety and well-being of our students, Scotts Branch maintains a locked door policy and has a security system.

Volunteer Information

Volunteering 10-20 hours in a school year can ultimately improve your child's future. The time and level of commitment is quite flexible allowing you to accommodate your changing schedule. There really is something for everyone.

Helping with activities in the classroom
Assisting with special events
Chaperoning field trips
Speaking to classes on special topics of interest

The Baltimore County Volunteer Application and screening process have been revised for the safety and protection of your children. Please take a few moments of your valuable time to complete the Application for Volunteer Services and return the completed forms to your child's teacher as soon as possible. Parents and guardians will not be allowed to act as chaperones on field trips until your completed Baltimore County Public Schools Volunteer Application is approved.

Parking Lot & Driveway

During arrival and dismissal times parents are to use the student drop off area of the parking lots. The front driveway loop is for the exclusive use of school buses and daycare vans during these times. Baltimore County has posted signs with the times. We ask that you:

Do not park behind other vehicles in the parking lot and block them.
Do not back down the exit portion of the driveway to enter the lot or the loop.
Pay attention to the one way signs.
If you are walking your child to class, use the parking lot, not the front loop.

Birthday Celebrations

School is a very busy place focused on providing your children with a strong, rigorous, and effective instructional program. Teachers and students are working hard throughout the day. We ask for your understand that school is not the time or place for birthday celebrations.

As always, if you have any questions please call the school at 410-887-0761.