Portsmouth Middle School Rules and Policies: Attendance, Behavior, and Substance Use, Study notes of Physical education

Download Portsmouth Middle School Rules and Policies: Attendance, Behavior, and Substance Use and more Study notes Physical education in PDF only on Docsity! PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT “The purpose of the Portsmouth Schools is to educate all students by challenging them to become thinking, responsible, contributing citizens who continue to learn through their lives.” WELCOME I take great pleasure in welcoming you to Portsmouth Middle School. You will spend a good part of the day here at school and I hope it will be a rewarding experience. The faculty and staff are here to work with you to make your time here as rewarding as possible. This section of your agenda book has been prepared to help you better understand the rules and regulations of your school. While it is not possible to record every detail of every rule in such a book, I ask that you take the time to understand what is written here, then to apply common sense to your experiences at Portsmouth Middle School so that everyone can work to do their best and have a successful year. Phillip R. Davis Principal Name: ______________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________ City/Town: ___________________________________________________ Phone: _________________________ Homeroom: ______________ STUDENT AGENDA BOOKS The Portsmouth Middle School Staff have prepared this Agenda Book to help students understand what is expected of them during the school year. Students are required to keep this Agenda Book with them throughout the year. Agenda Books should be kept in the original condition, pages should not be torn out, and the covers should be left intact. There will be a $5.00 charge to replace missing or destroyed Agenda Books. WHAT IS A MIDDLE SCHOOL? Our middle school provides a comprehensive educational program for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. Programming at Portsmouth Middle School is designed to enhance the development of the whole child. Social and emotional development and good citizenship skills are considered to be of equal importance to academic achievement. Some characteristics of a middle school include: team teaching, interdisciplinary teaching, exploratory curriculum, an Advisor-Advisee Program, Parent Advisory Council, and extra-curricular activities which are age appropriate. STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE It is the policy of the Portsmouth School District not to discriminate on the basis of handicap as required under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in the admission of students to programs or any educational services or in the employment of personnel. The Portsmouth School Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, ancestry, national origin, or social or economic status, as required under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Grievance procedures are available which provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging violations of Section 504 or Title IX. These may be obtained at the Office of the Coordinator, which is located at Central Office, 1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 402., Portsmouth NH 03801. The telephone number is 431-5080. DRUG-FREE SCHOOL ZONE The State legislature established Drug-Free School Zones (RSA 193-B) as of 7/2/91. The law makes it unlawful to sell or possess with intent to sell controlled drugs in the zones. The penalties are twice what were otherwise authorized under other RSA's with mandatory minimum one-year imprisonment. The law defines drug-free school zones as "an area inclusive of any property used for school purposes by any school, whether or not owned by such school, within 1000 feet of any such property, and within or immediately adjacent to school buses." GENERAL INFORMATION ATTENDANCE At the middle school, prompt and regular attendance to homeroom, assigned areas, and all classes is required. Unless it is absolutely impossible, you should be in school every day. Experience shows that good attendance and good grades go hand in hand. If a student is going to be absent from school, parents should call the school at 436-5781 between 6:30 AM and 8:00 AM on each day the student is absent. A student’s absence will be marked as unexcused unless there has been parent contact either by phone, or by a written notice before or after the absence. If a student is absent for only part of the day, he/she must report to the office for an admission slip to class. Students who miss all or part of the day without parent permission and a legitimate reason are considered truant from school. Truancy will be handled through contact with parents and, if necessary, through the court system. Should a student have excessive absences from school, the administration may consider a Truancy Petition. Details of the attendance policy approved by the School board on June 23, 2009, are available in the Parent Handbook. COMMUNICATION Email Messages Much of the communication with parents/guardians concerning middle school and school district activities and events are distributed by email. Parents are encouraged to provide and keep current their email address. Email addresses for middle school faculty and staff are provided in the Staff Directory section on the Middle School page of the City of Portsmouth website: (www.cityofportsmouth.com/school/pms). Parent Portal The Portsmouth School District transitioned to a new student information system known as Infinite Campus that allows online access for parents and students. Parents, guardians and students can check their attendance, schedules, assignments and grades by going online to the following web address: https://ic.portsmouth.k12.nh.us/campus/portal/portsmouth.jsp Parents/Guardians of more than one student in the district will be able to look at all information through the same login. Parents should have received their individual ID numbers by mail. Use this ID number to create your personal Infinite Campus Username and Password. If you do not know your ID number, contact Ms. Dube in the main office for more information. PERMISSION TO LEAVE SCHOOL Students are not permitted to leave the school at any time during the day unless they bring a note from a parent and sign out through the office. Leaving the school without permission is considered truancy from school. HOMEWORK AND HOMEWORK REQUESTS Homework is an essential part of the school program. All students are expected to complete homework assignments within the time schedule set by the teacher. Students are expected to make up all work missed due to absence from school. It is the student’s responsibility to check with his/her teachers about make-up work and complete it in a timely manner.. If a student is out 2 or more days, parents may contact the guidance secretary to collect work for the parent to pick up. These requests must be made by 8:00 AM, and the work will be available for pick up between 2:30 and 3:30 PM in the main office on days with normal school hours. EMERGENCY AND FIRE DRILLS Emergency and Fire Drills are required by law and are an important safety precaution. It is extremely important that when the first signal is given, students quietly follow directions and clear the building immediately by the prescribed route. Directions are posted in each classroom and teachers will discuss these directions with students VISITORS IN SCHOOL During the school year (particularly just before vacations) students request that visiting relatives and friends be allowed to accompany them to school. We cannot allow any visitors during the last month of school. At other times during the year, students wishing to bring a guest to school must have prior approval of their teachers and the Principal. SCHEDULED EARLY RELEASES At certain times during the school year, students will be dismissed 2 hours earlier than usual. This gives teachers time to plan activities and interdisciplinary units, as well as receive essential training. Please consult your school calendar for specific dates. SCHOOL CANCELLATIONS OR DELAYED OPENINGS Announcements relating to school cancellations and delayed openings due to weather, etc., will be carried on: WOKQ, WTSN, WERZ, WOQL and on wmur.com. You will also receive an automated phone message from our Superintendent from our Alert Now system. TELEPHONES/CELL PHONES Students are discouraged from using the office phone. The office telephone is a business phone and may be used by students for emergencies only. Students may use classroom phones with teacher permission. Communication with others via text or chat messaging is a distraction to students and classroom learning, therefore, students are not permitted to use cell phones to call or text at any point during the school day. Student phones should be locked in lockers during the school day, only to be used when a teacher posts BYOD in their classroom. COMPUTERS/BYOD All students will have access to computers and other school related technological devices. At the beginning of the year, an agreement will be sent home and signed by both student and parent regarding appropriate use of this technology. Students who have signed both the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) agreement and Acceptable Use technology agreement may use their own personal internet capable device under the direction and supervision of their classroom teacher for curricular purposes when it is posted as a BYOD day in the room. At no time during the school day is texting or communicating via apps the acceptable use of a student’s personal device. If a student is using their personal device in a manner not consistent with this policy, faculty or administration will confiscate the device. The device in question can be picked up by the student at the end of the school day. On a student’s third such event and every time thereafter, the phone will be returned only to a parent or guardian. Any student who has not signed the BYOD paperwork will be provided a school device for use at school when learning objectives call for the use of technology and the internet. FIELD TRIPS At various times throughout the year, students will be taken on Field Trips. Students whose behavior is not acceptable during school may not be allowed to attend a trip. This decision will be up to the student’s EXTRACURRICULAR ELIGIBILITY Students who are suspended may not participate in any extracurricular school activities, including dances and sports practices. Students who have an out-of-school suspension are not permitted on school grounds during the suspension. Students participating in Portsmouth Middle School Athletic Teams are required to sign an Athletic Agreement. Eligibility for extra-curricular activities will be based upon the following: 1. Students who fail to report to teacher and/or office detentions will be considered ineligible for participation in after school activities until the responsibility is fulfilled. 2. Students who are suspended will be considered ineligible for participation in after school activities on the day(s) that the suspension is served. 3. Students who are absent from school or who enter school after 9:A.M. will be considered ineligible for after school activities on the day of the absence or late entry. (This can only be waived by the principal or for extenuating circumstances.) EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Students at Portsmouth Middle School are encouraged to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities. Offerings may vary from year to year and periodically new clubs are created. During regular advisory periods, students will learn about activities such as: CLUBS AND MINI COURSES SPORTS Art Club Project Purple Volleyball Soccer Chess Club Math Club Field Hockey Lacrosse Yearbook Club Computer Club Track & Field Basketball Yoga Club Wordsmith Club Baseball Softball Student Council Dream Team Cross Country Bowling Club Girls Inc. Intramural Ultimate Frisbee Band Ensembles Chamber Singers Intramural Dodgeball Geo Bee Club Ski Club Intramural Tennis Young Historians Club Electronics Mini Course Intramural Basketball Girls on Track Homework Club Teen Library Connection Club Community Builders LATE BUS Portsmouth Middle School provides a late bus Monday through Thursday. The bus leaves school at approximately 3:30 PM. Students who use this bus are subject to the same rules as students riding regular buses. In order to use the late bus, students must have a pass indicating that they participated in an after school activity. Students opting to stay at the Connie Bean Center may use the late bus if they have remained on campus until the late bus arrives. The Connie Bean Center will issue a Late Bus Pass to these students. Students in the building after 2:20 PM are expected to be with a teacher. If a student wishes to visit the public library after school and ride the late bus home, they must bring a parent note to the office that morning. THE CAFETERIA A well-balanced lunch is available to all students during their lunch period. We ask students to follow a few simple lunchroom rules in the cafeteria: 1. Keep your table and the area around your table neat and clean. 2. Deposit all litter in the appropriate wastebaskets. 3. Talk with your neighbor quietly. 4. Stay seated at your table during lunch. 5. Do not take food out of the cafeteria, except “breakfast-to-go” which may be taken to homeroom. 6. Do not leave the cafeteria without permission. 7. Students are to follow the recycling/composting procedure in the cafeteria. 8. The maximum number of students per table is 8. UNIFIED ARTS Portsmouth Middle School offers a variety of exploratory courses under the heading of Unified Arts. During the three years a student is at the Middle School, he/she will have an opportunity to take most or all of courses such as: Art, Music, Technical Education, and Family and Consumer Science. In some cases a fee may be required to help offset the cost of these courses. Teachers in these areas will inform students at the beginning of the term as to the amount of the fee. PHYSICAL EDUCATION All students in grades 6-8 at Portsmouth Middle School are assigned to a Physical Education/Health class for the entire year. Classes meet three days out of the six-day rotation. Health class meets one of the three days and Physical Education class meets the other two days. Expectations are that each student will participate in class and either wear or bring sneakers and a change of clothing to do a variety of physical activities in class. Appropriate Physical Education clothing could be items such as: shorts, tee shirts, sweat pants, sweatshirts, wind pants, stretch pants, etc. The PMS Physical Education Program has 4 major objectives: 1. Promote movement skills and movement knowledge. 2. Develop and maintain positive self-image and personal development. 3. Develop goal-setting techniques, appropriate social behaviors, and a positive work ethic. 4. Motivate and educate students as to the health benefits and importance of positive health behaviors with an active lifestyle to establish a lifetime of Fitness. THE LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER The library is a great place to find a book to read, conduct research, or to study quietly. Teachers often sign up to bring their classes to the library for a specific assignment, and students are welcome in the library any time during the school day with a pass from a teacher. Homeroom and study skills are two good times for students to come to the library. Most books may be checked out for a two-week period. Students must return the books within that period. If they fail to do so, they will lose their library privilege until the books are returned. All overdue Library books must be returned before the end of the school year. Missing books are the financial responsibility of the student. For more information about the library and its resources, check the library page of the Portsmouth Middle School web site. http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/school/pms/pmslibrary.html CITIZENSHIP CODE Every student has the right to an education in an atmosphere of cooperation and support. Every student, in turn, has the responsibility to respect the rights of others and to conduct him or herself in a manner that promotes cooperation and a safe, positive learning environment. The staff of Portsmouth Middle School has adopted a policy concerning classroom behavior. The purpose of this citizenship code is to provide students with clear guidelines regarding appropriate behavior within the school setting. These policies work in conjunction with discipline policies developed by the Portsmouth School Board. Any member of the school staff may refer violations of the following citizenship code to a student’s team of teachers or to the office. These rules and regulations also apply during school functions such as extracurricular activities, field trips, and dances. To encourage good citizenship, students are encouraged to sign the following pledge:  At Portsmouth Middle School, it’s good to be different.  Teachers and students will treat each other with respect and fairness.  We will not judge each other by what we wear or how we look.  We will look for the good in each person.  We will not show sexism or racism.  We will not use words that hurt.  We will reach out to people we don’t know.  We will look out for one another.  We will tell the truth. DISCIPLINE Teacher Detentions may be given to students for behavior that includes but is not limited to:  violation of classroom rules including refusal to follow teachers’ directions,  choosing to be late to class,  causing a disruption, and  using inappropriate language. First Infraction will result in a warning. Second Infraction of the same rule will result in a teacher detention. Third Infraction of the same rule will result in an office detention and a Citizenship Code Infraction report being sent to the office to be entered into the student’s file. The school administration supports teachers in maintaining good discipline in the classroom and throughout the school. Therefore, teachers may refer students to the administration when a disciplinary problem is ongoing and classroom discipline or intervention has not effected a change. Office detentions may be given to students for behavior that includes, but is not limited to:  tardiness (on the third offence each term),  not telling the truth,  defiance,  unsafe behavior,  leaving class without permission,  causing a disruption in a common area, and  failure to report to a teacher detention. Parents will be notified of a teacher detention by telephone or a slip sent home. Students who fail to serve a teacher detention will be assigned both an office detention and the original detention. Discipline (continued) Failure to report to an office detention will result in an in-school, or out- of-school suspension. Students who receive an office detention for not reporting to a teacher detention will also be required to make-up the teacher detention within a reasonable amount of time An Immediate Suspension may be given to students for behavior that includes, but is not limited to: ► vulgar language ► failure to attend class ► stealing ► failure to attend office detention ► fighting ► aggressive or unsafe behavior ► vandalism ► threatening, intimidating, harassing ► truancy ► bold resistance to authority Out-of-school suspensions are given at the discretion of the school administration and as dictated by Board of Education policy. BUS RULES The responsibility for students using school busses rests with the parents until the students actually board the bus for school and after the students get off the bus on the return trip. A school bus driver has two responsibilities. The first is the safety of the students and the second is to maintain orderly behavior on the bus. For these two reasons, the following rules have been adopted by the School Board: 1. Students will be picked up and discharged only at authorized bus stops. All students will be taken directly to school in the morning and directly to the stop nearest their home in the afternoon. No students are to be picked up or discharged at any place other than an authorized bus stop. 2. Only authorized students may ride the school bus. 3. All students must be seated at all times. 4. There will be no smoking or drinking on the busses at any time. 5. Students are expected to behave in an orderly manner. No loud shouting, use of profanity, throwing things, or other types of misbehavior will be allowed. 6. No one is to touch the emergency exit door except upon instructions from the driver. 7. It is the driver's responsibility to report violations of these rules to the Principal of the building that the students involved attend. 8. Students who break these rules may lose their privilege of riding the school bus for the balance of the school year. The decision regarding the disciplinary action to be taken after students have been reported by a driver is to be made by the Principal after due process. 9. Building Principals have been designated in writing by the Superintendent to administer these rules. Every student will be issued a Bus Rider’s Contract. Parents and students will be required to sign this contract PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES Non-Smoking/Tobacco Policy In accordance with State RSA Chapter126-K:7: The use of tobacco products in School Department buildings, facilities or on School Department grounds is prohibited at all times. Tobacco products shall mean any tobacco-containing product and includes, but is not limited to:  Cigarettes  Smoking Tobacco  Cigars  Chewing Tobacco  Smokeless cigarettes  Lighters/Matches No student shall possess tobacco-containing products in any school building or on school grounds. Students who violate this policy shall be subject to penalties including but not limited to:  School suspension  Smoking cessation program  Out of school suspension  Expulsion  In-house community service  Students found to be in violation of this section of the policy must be evaluated by a certified substance abuse counselor and a plan of treatment must be developed and implemented prior to readmission to school. Employees who violate this policy shall be subject to penalties including, but not limited to:  Written reprimand  Suspension without pay  Dismissal for cause Nothing in this policy shall be deemed to waive the School Department's right to seek enforcement of penalties pursuant to RSA Chapter155:76 or RSA Chapter126-K:7. Selling and Distributing Controlled Substances Policy Selling and/or distributing are defined as supplying others with alcohol or a controlled substance. If, in the opinion of the school administration, a student is in possession of a sufficiently large quantity of alcohol and/or controlled substance that sale/distribution is possible, it will be considered possession with intent to sell. If the school administration determines that a student has violated this policy by possession of a sufficient quantity to sell or distribute, the student will receive a suspension of up to ten (10) days, and the matter will be referred to the Portsmouth School Board for a disciplinary hearing. If the Board finds that the student has violated this section of the policy, it may impose such discipline as it deems appropriate based upon the circumstances and nature of the violation up to and including expulsion from school. Students found to be in violation of this section of the policy must be evaluated by a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor and a plan of treatment must be developed prior to re-admission to school. Policy Approved by the Portsmouth School Board: June 26, 2001 Parents will be notified of out-of-school suspensions by mail and phone call. All students who receive an out-of-school suspension will not be allowed to return to school unless accompanied by a parent. Portsmouth School Board Approved December 14, 2010 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Identification The Portsmouth School Department defines a qualified handicapped individual under Section 504 as a student three to six years old who is educational disabled under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), or a school-aged child, aged 6 through 20, who has not graduated and who meets one of the following criteria:  Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. The term does not cover children disadvantaged by cultural, environmental, or economic factors.  Has a record or history of such impairment.  Is regarded or treated by the School Department as having such impairment. A detailed copy of the Section 504 Procedures is available from the Superintendent's Office located at 10 Jukins Ave, Portsmouth, NH 03801. Sexual Harassment Policy Statement The policy of the Portsmouth School Board is that all employees and students have the right to a working and learning environment, which is free of intimidation, hostility, and offensiveness. In order to ensure such an environment, employees and students are not to engage in the harassment of another person. While all forms of harassment are prohibited, this policy specifically prohibits sexual harassment. Definitions Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:  Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly as a term or condition of an individual's employment or academic standing, or  Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions affecting that individual, or  Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's performance or creating a hostile, intimidating, or offensive environment. Sexual harassment may include but is not limited to: sexual innuendo, verbal harassment, including epithets, derogatory comments or slurs, physical harassment; or visual harassment such as derogatory cartoons, drawings, posters, or graffiti. Sexual harassment can be against members of the same sex as well as against members of the opposite sex. It is determined from the perspective of the recipient as determined by the standard of how a reasonable person of the same gender/position would interpret the incident. Procedures Employees are required to immediately report any disclosure of a potential violation of this policy or any suspicion of a violation to the teacher designate, their building principal, and/or the assistant superintendent. Discrimination and Harassment Policy Statement The policy of the Portsmouth School District is to maintain a learning environment for all of its students free from any form of discrimination or harassment. The district shall promote educational programs and disciplinary procedures for the purpose of identifying and eliminating discrimination and harassment in all district activities. Definitions For the purpose of this policy, discrimination is defined as behavior which demonstrates prejudicial and/or preferential treatment toward an individual or group based on gender, race, creed, physical or mental ability, or sexual orientation and harassment is a form of discrimination defined as any action by an individual or group which results in a hostile environment for any student or group of students, including, but not limited to:  Physical and/or verbal threatening or intimidation  Slurs, insults, taunting or ridicule based on gender, race, creed, physical or mental ability or sexual orientation. Any student who engages in the harassment of another student may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion. Any employee who knowingly permits or engages in discrimination or harassment may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Students, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and all school employees are encouraged to report any form of discrimination or harassment to their school principal, assistant principal, guidance counselor, or teacher. School administration will conduct a thorough and objective investigation of any allegation of harassment and provide a written report within 20 days. Copies of written reports will be sent to the Superintendent’s office for the purpose of collecting data, evaluating the effectiveness of policy and procedures and taking corrective action. Weapons Policy No person(s) shall enter any Portsmouth school, school grounds, or school sponsored activities with a weapon of any kind in his/her possession or vehicle without prior, written authorization from the building principal. No person(s) shall knowingly aid, abet or otherwise assist another person(s) in possessing, bringing, or concealing any weapon into any Portsmouth school, school sponsored activity, or onto any school grounds. If the school administration determines that a student has violated this policy, the student will be suspended immediately for a period up to ten (10) days, during which time the student will be required to appear before the School Board. The Board will vote to expel or to impose other penalties, based upon the circumstances and nature of the violation. All violations of this policy will also include immediate referral to the Portsmouth Police Department. I have received an agenda book from Portsmouth Middle School. The school rules and procedures contained in the agenda have been explained to me and I have had the opportunity to ask questions about these. I have checked the boxes below to show that I understand school policies in the following areas. I will put forth my best effort in becoming a valued community member of Portsmouth Middle School, I will work to achieve my goals and become the best student I can be. Attendance and Tardies Homework and work missed while absent Cell Phone BYOD Skateboards, Bicycles, Scooters Connie Bean Center Dress Code Locker Agreement Extra-curricular Eligibility Citizenship Code Bus Rules By signing this I agree that I understand the information that has been presented to me, and have had the opportunity to ask clarifying questions about the information. I will do my best to adhere to the rules and expectations of Portsmouth Middle School and will make positive contributions to the school community by following these expectations and working to do my best __________________________________ _____________ Student Signature Date