Westwood Middle School

WESTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT HANDBOOK 2013-2014 Tigers Westwood Middle School THIS HANDBOOK BELONGS TO: Grade: Homeroom Teacher: The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards. Anatole France

STUDENT HANDBOOK WESTWOOD FACTS 1. The Principal at Westwood Middle School is Mrs. Christie B. Dawson. 2. The Assistant Principals are Mr. Arnold Woody and Mrs. Daphne Wall 3. In addition to the principal and assistant principals, there are two office staff members plus a nurse to assist you. They are: Mrs. Bonnie Hayes - Discipline and Registration Secretary, Ms. Patricia Gunn - Bookkeeper and Attendance Secretary, and Ms. Renee Tucker - School Nurse. 4. Your school guidance counselors are Ms. Zella Harris and Ms. Mary Lewis. Guidance services are very active. The primary focus of our guidance program is the development of students from an educational, social and emotional perspective. 5. The purpose of a school counselor is to: a. Help you learn about yourself b. Help you learn how to make decisions c. Help you with any problem(s) that may keep you from doing well in school d. Register for course selections e. Help you transition from Westwood Middle School to Galileo Magnet High School or George Washington High School f. Explore the Virtual Guidance Counselor to learn about * Careers that match your interests * Salary information and educational requirement * Employment projections * Job profiles of young professionals Go to: http://www.careerandcolleges.com 6. The Library Media Center Specialist is Mrs. Cynthia Jeffries. The library has many collections geared to meeting the informational, educational, and recreational needs of our students and faculty. The center operates on a flexible schedule, which allows students an opportunity to do research, to check out books, and to browse through newspapers and current magazines. Students may visit the center before, during and after school. 7. The School Nurse is Ms. Renee Tucker who can be reached at: (434) 797-8860. 8. Mr. Nathaniel Richardson is in charge of our cafeteria services. Some students may qualify for free or reduced meals based on family income. Applications may be picked up in the main office. All students are expected to arrive in an orderly and quiet manner to the cafeteria and be seated. Students are expected to clean up after themselves and no food or drink is allowed out of the cafeteria. Breakfast is $.75, lunch is $1.85, milk is $.50, and chocolate milk is $.90. Mr. Richardson can be reached at (434) 797-8864. 9. Your Student Handbook should be carried at ALL times. This handbook serves as student s hall pass. Students should not be out of class for any reason without a signed hall pass or this Student Handbook 10. Our mailing address is: Westwood Middle School, 500 Apollo Avenue, Danville, VA 24540. 11. Our main office telephone number is: (434) 797-8860. 12. Our school web address is: http://web.dps.k12.va.us./westwood.com THE WESTWOOD DAY 1. Your school day begins at 7:25 a.m. However students are permitted inside the building at 7:05 a.m. Upon entering, you should report immediately to your homeroom or to the cafeteria for breakfast, if desired. Classes begin at 7:30 a.m. and students need to be in the building by 7:25 a.m. WESTWOOD LIFE 1. Doing well academically is important to us at Westwood. 2. Westwood Middle School offers a wide variety of activities and organizations in which students may participate. Some of the activities offered in recent years include: Middle School Athletics (see Athletics section), awards assemblies; band and orchestra, concerts; student council; National Junior Honor Society; and grade level projects. We encourage you to get involved! 3. Some things to remember that will assist you are: a. Follow the Westwood Middle School Dress Code daily 2

b. Write down your assignment before you leave every class c. Make sure you have your supplies for each class when you arrive d. Study each night (Studying means doing written work, reviewing notes, and working on long-term assignments.) e. Stay organized and make good use of your planner f. Place your homework in your notebook when you complete it g. Pack your backpack each night before you go to bed h. Come to school every day on time i. If you need help, you should ask your teacher j. If you are absent bring a written excuse to the main office, signed by your parent explaining each absence. (Remember to get your homework from EACH teacher.) MEDICATION POLICY If it is necessary for a student to take prescription medication, the proper medication form must be filled out by the parent and signed by the doctor and filed in the main office. Parents must fill out forms for non-prescription medication that must also be filed in the office. Medications WILL NOT be given if the proper forms are not in the office. Students are not allowed to have any type of medication in their possession at any time. All medications must be in the main office-this includes ALL over the counter drugs. A parent must bring medication to school. No student is allowed to bring medication. MESSAGES AND TELEPHONES The telephones are for official school business only. Student phone calls are limited to the following: Missed bus Illness Other reasons as approved by an administrator or designee Parents should call the main office to have an emergency message delivered. Excessive requests to deliver messages interfere with classroom instruction. Students will not be called from class to receive phone calls or to call home during the day. Our office staff will deliver messages to the best of their ability, but this is NOT their primary mission and they will not be held accountable if a message is not delivered. We will always do our very best to assist you with getting emergency information to your child. Please make it a priority to review the after school plan at home before sending him/her to school. CELL PHONE POLICY Middle and high school students may have cell phones at school but may not turn them on or use them during the school day or on the school bus. During the school day, student cell phones must be turned off and left in locker or kept out of sight in a purse or book bag. Disciplinary Responses for Cell Phone Use First Offense Cell Phone Confiscated and Parent Conference Second Offense Cell Phone Confiscated, Parent Conference, and 2 days In-School suspension Third Offense Cell Phone Confiscated, Parent Conference, and 3 days Out-of-School suspension Fourth Offense Cell Phone Confiscated, Parent Conference, and 5 days Out-of-School suspension Fifth Offense Recommendation for Long-term suspension If a student is caught using a cell phone or if their cell phone rings or is seen during school hours, the phone WILL BE CONFISCATED and held until a parent comes to pick it up between 2:25 3:00 p.m. the next school day. For example, if a cell phone is confiscated on Thursday, a parent can pick it up between 2:25 3:00 p.m. on Friday. If the cell phone is confiscated on a Friday, a parent can pick it up on Monday between 2:25 3:00 p.m. A student who uses a cell phone during a testing situation will have the cell phone confiscated and receive a disciplinary referral for Cheating (Code 3-19 under the Standards for Student Conduct). 3

Disciplinary action may be taken in the event of non-compliance and refusal to turn over the phone may result in out-of-school suspension. Students should comply with the Cell Phone Policy in order to avoid such actions. Texting to a parent by a child from school or by a parent to a child during the school day is a violation of the code of conduct and could result in the child facing disciplinary actions. CHANGE OF ADDRESS / TELEPHONE NUMBER Please notify the school and/or your child s homeroom teacher in writing as soon as possible, if your address or telephone number changes. In cases of emergency, we must be able to contact a parent or guardian. This is also very important so parents can receive newsletters and notices of meetings and school events. Westwood Middle School A to Z ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Academic work is designed to help students think and master skills. Students gain skills through their own study and practice. Students should do their own work. When references are used, students should give credit to those sources (i.e.: Plagiarism (the direct copying of words, phrases, or ideas from a source) is prohibited.). Cheating is an offense that will result in disciplinary action. Remember that our nation's first great leaders were also our first great scholars. John F. Kennedy ATTENDANCE POLICY To achieve maximum academic success, regular attendance is essential. All students attending middle school are expected to attend school daily unless they have a valid excuse. There will be no academic penalty for excused absences. All work should be made up in a timely fashion. Excused absences will be granted for: Illness Required court appearances Medical and dental appointments Death in the family Religious holiday Extenuating circumstances which are determined by the school administration. Unexcused absences include: All absences not covered under Excused Absences will be coded as Unexcused Students who do not bring a written excuse from a parent or guardian will have an unexcused absence. The following policy is in effect for unexcused absences. First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Call from Parent Link informing the parent of absence Call from Parent Link informing the parent of absence Call from school office Mandatory Parent Conference Mandatory Truancy Meeting & Compliance Form to be completed and turned into Pupil Support Services. A report is sent to the truancy office and the Truancy Response Team (TRT) will have a mandatory meeting with parents and student. On the next absence after the TRT meeting, a petition is filed with the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. The court date is set for the student, parents, and school officials to appear. Students with absences will need to complete make-up assignments, homework or tests. Students must be present in school on the day of an after school activity in order to participate. However, suspended students are required to make up work, but are not eligible to participate in after school activities. The principal or assistant principal will be the final authority on unexcused absences. Parents of absent students are randomly called by the school for verification. Upon a student s return from an absence, he/she should submit a note with the following information: 4

Student s full name; Date (or dates) of the absences(s); Reason for the absence(s); and Signature and telephone number of the parent/guardian. This note is to be turned in to the attendance secretary in the main office. Telephone messages to excuse absences will not be accepted. If a student returns to school without a written note, the absence will be coded as unexcused. TARDY POLICY A student is tardy if the student is not inside the doorway of the assigned classroom by the appropriate time. Students tardy for homeroom shall report to the Office for a pass. If the student is issued an excused pass, the incident will not count against the student. Excessive excused tardies may be factored into the overall number of absences and become a contributing factor in truancy. All other days the student arrives late will be counted as unexcused and the consequences listed below will be enforced per semester in each class. Tardies are unexcused unless a parent comes in with the student or sends a signed note. 1 st Tardy --------- Warning given to Student 2 nd Tardy -------- Teacher informs parent 3 rd Tardy --------- Principal informs parent 4 th Tardy --------- Detention Packet 1 5 th Tardy -------- Detention Packet 2 6 th Tardy --------- In-School Suspension 9 th Tardy --------- And subsequent Offenses Out-of-School Suspension TRUANCY - SKIPPING CLASS 1. Truancy is skipping school. Skipping is: a. Being more than 15 minutes late to school or a class without a legitimate excuse. b. Leaving school or class without permission. c. Being absent from school without the parent s/guardian s permission. 2. Skipping a class or school will result in: a. Parents being asked to assist the school in correcting and preventing truancy. b. Notifying the Office of Student Support Services. c. The student may be suspended or even required to appear in Juvenile and Domestic Court if he/she is frequently truant. 3. The attendance clerk will record the time of arrival for each tardy and when the time (hours) add up to a day, for truancy calculations, an additional absence day will be added. CHECKING OUT OF SCHOOL Only a parent/guardian or a person authorized by a parent in writing can check a student out of school. Students must be signed out in the office and will not be allowed to leave school unless they have followed this procedure. Students checking out early will be excused from classes under the same provisions listed in the Attendance section above. Parents or guardians are encouraged not to check students out between 1:40 2:10 p.m. Absences are only excused for the following reasons: a. Appointment with a Doctor or Dentist b. Court Appearance c. Family Emergency d. Death in the Family e. Religious Holidays f. Personal Illness g. Principal s Exemption BIRTHDAYS/HOLIDAYS At the risk of food allergies and excluding others, it is inappropriate to bring cake/snacks to school for birthdays or holidays. Posters, presents, flowers, and balloons are not allowed. BIKING AND WALKING Because many streets in the Westwood Zone do not have sidewalks, students who wish to ride a bike or walk to 5

school need to bring a note giving permission for the entire school year signed by a parent. CAR RIDERS Students who are car riders should wait under the patio outt front until their parent arrives to pick them up. All parents must drive in a line to pick them up. Students willl not enter thee parking lot to be picked up. Parents are not permitted to park in the parking lot, walk over to the edgee and call their child(ren) to cross over into the parking lot to be picked up. Cars should remain inn line. This will be supervised by Mrs. Bridgeforth, Ms. M. Jones, Mr. McNair, and Ms. P. White. The way the sidewalk is arranged and if cars remain in a single file, five or six cars should be able to load at a time. BUS RULES Students choosing not to demonstrate appropriate behavior while riding the school bus will be disciplined and may lose their bus privilege temporarily or for the entiree school year. When this happens, parents will have to make arrangements for their child to get to and from school according to the established school hours. Parents will be accountable for any physical damage done to buses by their dependents. School Bus Procedures are as follows: Follow all directions of the driver Board and exit the bus in a safe and orderly manner Stay properly seated Keep your hands and feet out of the aisle Do not throw things inside or outside of the bus. Heads, hands, and other body parts are to remain inside the bus at all times. Remain reasonably quiet as to not disturb others or the driver. No profanity, prohibited items, or vandalism. Do not eat, chew gum, or consume drinks. Always show bus pass, if applicable. Cellular phones and other electronic devices are not to bee used on the bus. Here are a few things parents need to know: Transportation to and from school is a privilege. Students may be removed from the bus for not following the rules based on the Danville Public Schools Standards of Student Conduct. Your child can only ride the bus that is assigned to him/her according to the address provided at the beginning of the school year. Students may not ride home with other students without a pass issued by an administrator. In order to obtain a pass to ride a different bus the administrator must receive a signed note from a parent at least 488 hours prior to the change date. (The note will have to be processed by both the school and transportation). If the bus is late getting your child to school, the school will issue an excused tardy. The Danville Public Schools 2013-2014 Code of Student Conduct applies to school buses as well as school buildings and sponsored events. Also, the Code of Virginia, Section 22.1-78, requires regulations governing the conduct of students going too and from school. Each student will receive a copy of the Danville Public Schools 2013-20143 Codee of Student Conduct at the beginning of the school year. Whenever it is necessary for a student to ride a differentt bus, an administrator must receive a signed note from a parent at least 48 hours priorr to the changee date. (The note will have to be processed by both the school and transportation). The written note from his/her parent/guardian must have a valid/working contact number. This note must be presented to the main office. Notes brought to the office after the last bell will not be considered or processed. The note must include the following: The student s full name Date(s) The substitute bus number The destinationn and the number of days needed The signature and telephone number of the parent/guardian 6

Danville Public Schools Transportation Department 998 South Boston Road Danville, Virginia 24540 Dear Parent or Guardian, Danville Public Schools Transportation Services is pleased to provide transportation service to your children. We strive to provide a safe and secure environment for all children and we ask that you support our efforts by taking time to understand and explain the bus rules to your children. As a general rule, riding a school bus is a privilege. In order to retain this privilege, certain rules must be followed to ensure the trip is safe and pleasant. Please ask your child to follow the rules that are posted on the front panel of the bus. The rules are as follows: 1. Observe the same conduct on the bus as in the classroom. 2. Be courteous; use no profane or abusive language. 3. Do not eat or drink on the bus. 4. Co operate with the driver and follow the instructions of the driver or aide. 5. There is no smoking on a school bus. 6. Do not damage the bus or equipment on the bus. 7. Stay in your seat and keep your head, hands and feet inside the bus and out of the aisle. 8. Do not fight with, push, or shove other students. 9. Do not tamper with bus radio or security camera equipment. 10. Do not bring flammable material or weapons on the bus. Students should be at the bus stop waiting for the bus when it arrives. We recommend that all students should be at the bus stop at least five minutes prior to the arrival of the bus. For elementary, middle, and high schools, bus stops are routinely set at the corner closest to your house. Community corner stops are the fairest and most efficient way to offer transportation service to you. Changes in stop locations are not made unless the change is necessary to benefit bus scheduling or pick up/drop off times. Bus Drivers do not have the authority to change bus stops. Occasionally route changes are necessary from time to time. This may cause a change in the arrival time for your bus. The driver will notify your child of a change in arrival time if this occurs. Buses are not allowed to sit and wait for children to come to the bus from houses or other areas. We ask that parents accept their responsibility to have their children at the bus stop when the bus arrives and to be available, or have a designated person available to accept the children when they arrive. Generally, a parent or designee is required to accept children from the bus through elementary school, and in some cases in middle school. Please work with your school principal if you have a question about who can meet the bus for your child. If no one is available to meet the child upon arrival at the stop, the child will be returned to the school. Repeated instances of returning a child to school can lead to the suspension of bus privileges. Please understand the bus driver is authorized to assign seats on the bus. Students with assigned seats are expected to sit in those seats while going to and returning from school. School buses are considered an extension of the school grounds and classroom. Parents are not allowed to enter a school bus for any reason, unless given authorization to enter by the driver. Unauthorized entry on a school bus is considered to be trespassing and is prosecutable under state law. Please respect the driver and transportation aide by standing at the door to speak with them about any questions you may have. Bus drivers and aides do not decide discipline for misbehavior. They simply report what they see and hear to your school Principal or Administrator. If you have questions about disciplinary actions with your child, please contact the Principal of your school. Danville Public Schools Transportation Services works closely with your school to provide them with any information they need to make decisions concerning disciplinary action with students. Thank you for reading and understanding these simple rules for riding the school bus. We look forward to providing you and your children safe and reliable transportation this school year. E. Michael Adkins E. Michael Adkins Director of Transportation Services DRESS CODE It is the desire and intent of Westwood Middle School in developing this dress code to create a SAFE environment in our school that is conducive to learning and free of potential distractions or danger. This code allows school administrators the right to make adjustments to the code as necessary to maintain a safe learning environment. Grade 6: The standard dress attire requires 6th graders to wear solid uniform shirts of Burgundy or a Dark Red. Grade 7: The standard dress attire requires 7th graders to wear solid uniform shirts of Dark (Hunter) Green. 7

Grade 8: The standard dress attire requires 8th graders to wear solid uniform shirts in Navy Blue. GUIDELINES FOR ALL STUDENTS Shirts Pants Skirts Jackets Shoes Jewelry Solid colored shirts or blouses of the above grade color no words or logos NO sleeveless shirts or spaghetti strap shirts NO shirt of a different color showing under the dress code: Colored Shirt Example - red shirts under green, burgundy, or navy blue Shirts are to be tucked in at all times. Only solid tan or brown khaki pants no words or logos NO baggy pants or cargo pants NO stripes, fringe, rips, tears or multi-colored pants NO sweat pants or nylon jogging pants NO leggings NO denim or blue jeans of any type or color NO skinny leg pants Belts must be visible and worn at all times and shirts must be tucked. Capri pants may be worn Shorts must be knee length Solid tan khaki no words or logos Must be knee-length No mini skirts Students may wear fleece sweaters in their grade level color. NO jackets/coats of any color will be allowed in class. They may be worn into the building and placed in the lockers. No open-toe or open-heeled shoes, which includes flip-flops or sandals. Tennis shoes must be worn, not brought to school on PE days. There will be no changing of shoes in the PE classes or hallways. Students may wear one small (1in. in diameter) pair of earrings, one necklace under 20 inches long, one watch, one bracelet and one ring per hand. NO other jewelry may be worn, including nose rings, eyebrow rings, tongue rings, lip rings, silly bands, etc. Appropriate dress must be worn into the building at all times. There will be NO storing of clothes or changing of clothes in classrooms, hallways or restrooms. Inappropriate Dress: Pants that are too baggy, too short or too tight (skinny leg pants and pants sagging low on or beneath the buttocks) Halter tops or tank tops or spaghetti straps or blouses or shirts that show student s midriff or underclothing Transparent or semi-transparent or mesh clothing of any type Skirts must be knee-length Students are not to dress, wear, or use emblems, insignias, badges, or other symbols that are distracting the attention of other students or otherwise cause disruption or interfere with the operation of the school. Hats or headgear of any type are not to be worn in the building by male or female students. Violation of dress code: 1st Offense A parent will be called to bring proper clothing. The parent will have a conference with a principal when the clothing is brought to school. If a parent is unavailable, the student will be placed in ISS for the day. 2nd Offense - The parent will be asked to come and pick up the child and the student will receive an unexcused absence. Should we be unable to reach a parent, the student will receive a mandatory parent conference. Repeated dress code violations will result in more serious consequences. A second occurrence of the same dress code violation will result in a failure to follow directions referral. These guidelines will be closely followed, as we will not use instructional time to deal with dress code issues. Students will be sent home or suspended. 8