Frequently Asked Questions

REGISTRATION

Visit the Knox County Zone Locator and enter your home address. 

How do I register my child as a student at FPS?

For the 2017-2018 school year, children must be five (5) years of age by August 15, 2017 to be eligible for kindergarten. This date represents a change from previous years.  To register your child as a student at FPS, please visit the registration page of our FPS website for detailed information.

Where can I get a registration packet?

The packets are available in the school’s office. 

Where can I park?

You can park in the visitors’ parking lot, which can be accessed by entering our campus using the second of three entrances coming from either direction on Campbell Station Road. Please do not park in or block emergency fire lanes, car/bus pick-up lanes, or the driveways. After regular school hours, you may also park in the faculty/staff lot.

FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL 

What are the school hours?

The regular school day is 7:45 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. for all students, including kindergarten students. Half days end at 11:15 a.m.

Is after-school care available?

Yes.  Please visit the daycare page of our FPS website for a detailed list of daycares that serve our school.

Where can I get a copy of the school calendar?

Visit the calendars' page of the Knox County Schools' website for the 2017-2018 school year calendar.

How early may I drop off my child in the morning?

Supervision is provided by staff beginning at 7:10 a.m. Students may be dropped off beginning at that time but will not be allowed in the building before then. Please do not leave children unattended outside before the building opens. 

TRANSPORTATION

Does FPS have bus transportation?

Bus transportation is not required by law but is provided for free to children who live at least one mile from the school. Visit Knox County Schools’ bus stop locator page of the Knox County Schools' website to find out if your student is eligible for bus service.

Do I need to register my child for the bus?

No. Simply bring your child to the bus stop in the morning and the bus will pick him/her up. Students who ride the bus in the afternoon should know where the bus stop is, even if they have an older sibling or friend riding with them.

How do I find my bus stop/time?

School bus stops and routes are posted in the school office or may be found online by visiting the bus stop locator page of the Knox County Schools’ website. Routes and stops are arranged by Knox County Schools’ Director of Transportation, Dr.Rick Grubb. He may be reached at 865-594-1550. After your child’s registration is processed by Knox County Schools, you should receive a letter from the Transportation Department letting you know your child’s morning and afternoon bus numbers and the location of your morning and afternoon bus stops. Please note that the bus your child rides in the morning may not be the same bus he/she rides in the afternoon. Please help your child learn his/her bus numbers and route stop. 

My child will be a car rider. How do I drop him/her off in the morning and pick him/her up in the afternoon?

Please visit the arrival and dismissal page on the FPS website (under the "For Families" tab) for detailed information regarding arrival and dismissal policies and procedures.  

On the New Student Enrollment form you’ll fill out during registration, you may indicate which people may pick up your child in your absence. These people will have to report to the office and show a photo ID before your child is released to them. Your child will not, under any circumstance, be released to any person who is not listed as an emergency pick-up or to anyone who cannot show a photo ID. 

Do I always have to send a note if my child’s regular method of transportation changes?

Yes. If your child will ride the bus home with a friend when he/she is usually a car rider, for instance, you will need to send a written note to the teacher at the start of the school day.

How will I know if school will be closed, open late, or dismiss early because of snow or other inclement weather?

The Knox County Schools Superintendent makes the decision to close school, delay opening school, or dismiss early because of inclement weather. After the decision is made, the Knox County Schools’ SchoolMessenger notification system will relay information to families via email and/or a phone call to the contact information on record with the school. The information will also be posted on the Knox County Schools’ website. In addition, local radio and television stations will report information. Please DO NOT CALL the school office for additional information as this ties up the telephone lines. If the opening of school is delayed, a teacher will NOT be on duty at the regular time for early arrivers, so please do NOT bring your child to school early. Buses will run on the same delayed opening schedule as the school. 

How will my child be sent home if school dismisses early because of snow or other inclement weather?

We will follow the instructions provided under  “Early School Dismissal” on the emergency card you completed at the beginning of the school year. After-school care providers may or may not pick up students for an unscheduled early dismissal due to inclement weather, so please check with your provider for their policy. Kidtime does not remain open when school dismisses early due to inclement weather. 

What do I need to do if my child has to leave school early?

If you know ahead of time that your child will be leaving early (i.e. for a doctor’s appointment), please send a written note to your child’s teacher indicating what time you plan to pick up the student. When you arrive at the school, report to the office and a staff member will have your child sent to the office. Your child may not wait in the front office area for an early pick-up. You will be asked to show a photo ID and sign your child out of school before the student will be released.  We ask that no students be dismissed early after 2:15 p.m. 

ATTENDANCE

Do I need a note if my child is absent?

Yes. A written note must be sent to your child’s teacher within five (5) school days of the student’s return to school. Otherwise the absence will be considered an unexcused absence. Notes are required even if you call the school to indicate that your child will be absent. You may submit up to ten (10) parent/guardian notes during the school year. If your child misses ten or more days in a school year because of illness, a statement from a medical provider is required. 

VISITING THE SCHOOL

Can I volunteer in my child’s classroom?

Many teachers use volunteers in the classroom. Ask your child’s teacher how you can help.

Where else can I volunteer?

The school has numerous volunteer opportunities which will be outlined in a PTA Volunteer packet that your child will bring home in the first days of school. Review the material, find your niche, fill out the form,and return it to school.

I’m coming to the school to volunteer or visit. Do I need to check in with the office first?

Yes. Please come in to the office and sign in on the visitor’s log located on the counter. You must wear your visitor/volunteer name tag at all times in the building.

May I eat lunch with my child?

Yes. Grandparents are welcome, too! After signing in on the visitor’s log in the school office and getting a name tag, meet your child by the cafeteria during his/her designated lunch period. If you’d like to purchase lunch, the cost is $3.75. The amount can be charged to your child’s lunch account if you wish. You may also bring in outside food to enjoy with your child.

FOOD AND NUTRITION

Breakfast costs $1.75 and lunch costs $2.50 for students who do not participate in the reduced meal program. Extra milk and ice cream are 50 cents each. Your child will be assigned a cafeteria pin number at the beginning of the school year. It may take more than a week at the beginning of the year to get a pin number assigned to all the new students, so please be patient. (This number will remain the same each year your child is a student in the Knox County Schools.) Checks should be made payable to Farragut Primary School and include your child’s name. Place the payment in an envelope and include the following on the outside of the envelope: teacher’s name, child’s name, “re: lunch money”, and the amount enclosed. You may also apply money to your child's account by visiting www.k12paymentcenter.com.  

How do I apply for the free or reduced meal program?

Visit the free/reduced meals page to learn more about the program and eligibility requirements.   You can apply online by visiting lunchapplication.com.

How do I get a copy of the cafeteria menu?

You may access the cafeteria menu by visiting the calendar page of the Food and Nutrition Services department page on the Knox County Schools' website. 

My child left his/her lunch at home. Can I bring it to him/her?

Any items that need to be delivered to a student are to be left in the office. These items will be delivered to the student for you by a staff member.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

May I send my child’s medication with him/her to school?

No. Please do not send medication of any kind to school with your child. Medication (even cough drops) must be brought to the school office by a responsible adult in an appropriate container labeled by the pharmacy or health care provider. Any student who is required to take mediation during the regular school day must comply with school regulations regarding the dispensing of medication. 

The P.T.A. volunteers staff our clinic and work hard to make sure the clinic is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. All volunteers are Red Cross trained. If your child gets sick at school, his/her teacher will send him/her to the clinic for an evaluation and a clinic volunteer will contact you. If we cannot reach you, the emergency contact you provided at enrollment will be called.

IN THE KNOW

Who is my school’s School Board representative? 

Karen Carson represents our district, district 5.

How do I get involved with the PTA?

We have an active P.T.A. that works hard with the faculty and administration to make our school a great place for our kids to learn. Your child will come home with information about membership in the P.T.A. as well as volunteer opportunities. There are countless ways you can get involved in our school!