2014-2015 Pierson Middle School Student Handbook

PIERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT HANDBOOK

2014-2015 200 Jermain Avenue Sag Harbor, New York 11963 (631) 725-5302 www.sagharborschools.org

Board of Education Mr. David Diskin Mr. Daniel Hartnett Ms. Susan Kinsella Ms. Sandra Kruel Ms. Diana Kolhoff Ms. Theresa Samot Ms. Chris Tice

Administrative and Support Staff Katy Graves.………............Superintendent Jeff Nichols.…………….......Principal Gary Kalish.………………...High School Assistant Principal Brittany Miaritis……………..Middle School Assistant Principal Barbara Bekermus…………Director of Pupil Personnel Services Scott Fisher…………...……Director of Technology Montgomery Granger..........Plant Facilities Administrator Adam Mingione…..………...Guidance Counselor Christina Little...……………Psychologist Lindsay Reilly………...........Social Worker Margaret Comber………….School Nurse

Pierson Middle School Handbook This handbook is designed to help acquaint parents and students with the policies and procedures of Pierson Middle School. The middle years are an exciting time, full of changes and new opportunities. To help students navigate this new learning environment, we have developed a middle school program supporting both rigorous academic achievement and the social/emotional needs of our emerging adolescents. This handbook is organized by topic and is arranged alphabetically.

BELL SCHEDULE Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Period 4 Period 5 Period 6 Period 7 Period 8 Period 9 Advisory

7:25 - 8:05 8:08 - 8:48 8:51 - 9:31 9:34 - 10:14 10:17 - 10:57 11:00 - 11:40 11:43 - 12:23 12:26 - 1:06 1:09 - 1:49 1:52 - 2:26

GENERAL INFORMATION (listed alphabetically) ACADEMIC PROGRAMS The middle school contains grades 6, 7, and 8. The core academic program consists of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language. Students also have access to a rich exploratory program including Home & Careers, Technology, Art, Physical Education, Health, and Music. Not all exploratory courses are offered at every grade.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT Each normal school day has an academic support period. Students may report to their assigned classroom or make appointments with teachers for extra help and enrichment. Academic support provides time to make up missed assignments, get extra help, or complete homework.

ACCELERATED ACADEMICS The middle school offers opportunities for students to accelerate and earn high school credit.

After progressing through their first year of study, all middle school foreign language students have the opportunity to take the Checkpoint A Exam during Regents week in June. Students who pass the test earn one high school credit. Our program also includes opportunities for students to accelerate in math and science in eighth grade.

Acceleration is often a hot topic for parents. Our placement decisions are based entirely on a desire to offer the greatest measure of success and challenge to all our students. Many parents, however, confuse successful mastery of skills with participation in an accelerated program. From experience, we know that if a middle schooler is moved ahead before developing a solid foundation in key concepts, the child may suffer lowered achievement throughout high school.

That lack of success often translates into a negative attitude toward school in general. When students progress at a pace appropriate to their learning, chances of successful mastery are increased. Teachers and administrators are available to discuss the factors that are used to determine course placement.

ACTIVITIES AND CLUBS Club offerings vary each year but tend to include the following: Art, Drama, Rock and Roll, Bowling, Math, Cooking, Woodshop, Robotics, Backyard Games, Reading, Student Council, Yearbook, Theater, and YARD (after-school recreation). Club registration can be done through the district website.

AIS The Academic Intervention Services (AIS) program is designed to provide focused instruction and progress monitoring for students who are at risk of not meeting the New York State learning standards, as evidenced by both standardized test scores and classroom performance. Parents of students who require these services will be notified.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE The building is open for students between 7:15 a.m. and 2:35 p.m. Students in school outside of those times must be under an adult’s supervision.

ATHLETICS & INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS A varied interscholastic sports program is available to seventh and eighth grade students; there are teams for boys and girls unless otherwise indicated. Participation in games and practices is contingent upon a student remaining in good academic standing in each of their classes.

Basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, field hockey, soccer, golf, cross-country, volleyball, and track are offered to students at specific times during the year.

ATTENDANCE Regular attendance in all classes is an important element of middle school success. Students who are absent are responsible for missed work and should check their teacher’s website for an explanation of what they may have missed. It is also a good idea for all students to get the phone number of a “homework buddy” in each class. For serious illnesses or periods of convalescence that will require extended absence, please contact the assistant principal to make arrangements to continue education in the meantime.

There is no real way to make up for missed classroom instruction. While we encourage all families to plan vacations during school recesses, we realize that special opportunities may arise during the school year that require students to miss many days of class work. While teachers will make every effort to help students catch up on missed work, extended absences do tend to negatively affect grades.

Absence: § Students who miss school because of illness must bring a dated note signed by a parent or guardian or a medical note from a doctor with the specific reason for the student’s absence. Without a note, the absence will be recorded as “unexcused.”

Excused early from school: § A parent or guardian must come to the Main Office to sign out a middle school student.

We cannot release a child to friends or other family members without the specific written permission of a parent or guardian. It will save parents time and inconvenience to keep the emergency contact list current and complete.

Arriving late to school: § Students who arrive late to school must report to the Main Office and sign in. Students are assigned a detention following three incidences of lateness. At the beginning of the

year and the beginning of the second semester, a student’s accumulated incidences of late arrival are cleared and we start counting from one again.

BEHAVIOR Acceptable student behavior adheres to national, state, and local laws and is needed to ensure an environment that is both safe and conducive to learning. Pierson students set high standards for themselves and are well behaved. Occasionally, disruptive behavior and other infractions of school rules will result in disciplinary action. Examples of behaviors that will result in disciplinary consequences include, but are not limited to, the following items: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Speaking or writing abusive, profane, or foul language Cheating or plagiarism Cyber-bullying Behaving disruptively in classrooms or assemblies Lying or being dishonest Eating or drinking in the classroom without permission Fighting or endangering the health and safety of oneself or others Intimidating or harassing others Exhibiting inappropriate hallway, cafeteria, or bus behavior Making rude, derogatory comments or actions to staff or students Refusing to do assigned work or follow directions Smoking or using alcohol or other drugs Stealing Vandalizing Possessing any kind of weapon or ammunition (including water guns) Displaying or using electronic devices (including cell phones) Publicly displaying physical affection Trespassing Sexual harassment

BRINGING ITEMS NOT RELATED TO INSTRUCTION Electronic entertainment devices, trading cards, or other items not related to instruction need to be left at home. The school cannot promise the security of such items and these belongings often present a disruption to instruction. Students bringing these items to school may have them taken away and retained by an administrator.

BUS SCHEDULE Bus routes and schedules are mailed to Pierson families during the summer. Additional copies are available in the Main Office during the year.

CELL PHONES & ELECTRONIC DEVICES Cell phones, iPods, iPads, and other electronic devices are permitted in the building, but must not be visible or turned on during class unless permission is granted by the teacher. A violation of this policy will result in the phone being confiscated. In the event of an emergency, parent-tostudent contact can be done through the Main Office.

CODE OF CONDUCT The Sag Harbor School District is committed to promoting safe and healthy learning environments where students are secure in their pursuit of educational success, free from the distracting incidence of violent behaviors in class, the carrying of weapons, fighting, physical assaults, and other behaviors that impede learning. They should be secure as well from emergencies that sometimes arise from outside of school in the form of organized violence, natural disasters, and technological malfunctions.

Toward those ends, the Sag Harbor Board of Education has adopted a Code of Conduct, the New York State Dignity for All Students Act (governing the behavior of students, staff, and visitors to the district), and safety plans for responding to school emergencies consistent with the requirements of the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) legislation. To read the policies in detail, please refer to our district’s website.

COUNSELING OFFICE The middle school guidance counselor Adam Mingione is available for assistance with any problems, questions, or concerns. Students may come to the counseling office during the school day with permission from a teacher, while parents should call or e-mail in advance to set up an appointment.

COURSE CHANGES Course changes must occur during either the designated schedule change days in June or the add/drop period during the first two weeks of school in September.

DANCES We have a few dances at Pierson during the school year. Only students who are enrolled at Pierson Middle School, district residents who attend private schools, or home-schooled district residents of middle school age are permitted to attend dances. Those district residents who do not attend Pierson are requested to bring emergency contact information with them when attending a school dance. It is also helpful if those students, or their parents, introduce themselves to a chaperone or administrator at the dance. We certainly want to be able to welcome all eligible students to these events.

DETENTION Students who commit behavioral infractions or arrive late to school more than three times in one semester will be assigned to lunch detention. Students serving a lunch detention must report to the cafeteria where a monitor will then escort them to the detention room.

DRESS CODE Anything that distracts from the important job of learning is considered to be inappropriate. It is the student’s responsibility to arrive at school properly dressed. Students who choose inappropriate attire may be lent appropriate clothing, miss one or more classes while waiting for appropriate clothing, or face further disciplinary action.

The school Code of Conduct describes appropriate dress. In the middle school, our most frequent infractions of the dress code are to the following rules: § § §

Clothing must cover all undergarments and midriffs No short shorts or short skirts (fingertip length is requested) No clothing referencing tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs, or conveying messages of nudity, lewdness, profanity, bias, violence, gang activity, or discrimination of any kind

We do not want to become the fashion police, but we will enforce these rules. Please help us by abiding by them.

E-MAIL All teachers and staff have personal e-mail accounts at school. Teacher e-mail may be accessed through middle school teacher websites at www.sagharborschools.org. E-mail is the most effective way to initiate contact with a teacher with questions or concerns about their class. While teachers also have voicemail accounts for phone messages, they do not have phones in their classrooms and must rely on the availability of the phone in the faculty room to access their voicemail accounts and to respond to calls.

EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION It is imperative that all students have up-to-date emergency contacts on file with the school.

Student information sheets are given out at the beginning of the school year. Please make sure that we have current information and are informed of any changes or additions to emergency information – either phone numbers or names of allowable emergency contacts. Occasionally, an accident or extreme illness makes it necessary for school personnel to contact a parent/guardian. A student cannot be released to any individual who is not listed as an emergency contact.

In most cases, when parents are divorced, both mother and father continue to have equal rights of access to their children. If there are legal papers that limit the rights of one parent, this information must be provided to the school. It is the parents’ responsibility to update emergency contact information when moving and/or changing any of the telephone numbers listed in our records.

FIELD TRIP ELIGIBILITY Participation on field trips is a privilege and requires that students demonstrate consistently appropriate behavior. The administration reserves the right to deem students ineligible if they commit serious behavioral infractions, accumulate an excessive number of detentions, or if they are suspended out of school. Students who lose the privilege of participating in the trip will lose their deposit and any other money put towards the cost of the trip. In addition, students who violate rules while participating on field trips may have to be escorted home from the trip early by their parents. These students will also lose their privilege to attend future trips for a specified period of time.

FUNDRAISING Students raise money for their class trip during the school year. Each class has an advisor to lend support and guidance through each of the events that are scheduled during the year. The advisor is responsible for overseeing a minimum of two fundraisers. The money raised is used to defray some of the costs of the trip. Information regarding each of these trips and the fundraisers will be disseminated by the trip advisor.

GRADING POLICIES Grades will reflect a teacher’s most objective assessment of a student’s academic achievement.

Grading policies may vary slightly from teacher to teacher or from discipline to discipline, but all policies are created to encourage student success and to promote productive learning behaviors.

Teachers provide a written explanation of their grading policies on their individual websites.

HOMEWORK Regular, purposeful homework is an essential component of the instructional process. Homework provides reinforcement of skills and extension of classroom instruction. It may serve as a basis for further study and preparation for future class assignments. Additionally, homework reinforces the importance of personal responsibility regarding meeting deadlines and following instructions independently.

Students are responsible for maintaining a record of assignments in their planner which will be provided by the school, completing assigned homework as directed, storing that work in the appropriate place, and handing it in to the teacher when requested. It is reasonable to expect between 30 and 90 minutes of homework per night in middle school and a similar amount of time reading if there is no homework assigned on a given night.

INTERNET USE Utilization of the internet by students must be consistent with the educational objectives of the classroom. Transmission of any copyrighted, threatening, or obscene material is prohibited.

Accessing the internet through district equipment is a privilege, and inappropriate use will result in cancellation of this privilege. All students must sign an internet use agreement prior to obtaining internet access during any given year.

LOCKERS All students are provided with a locker in which they can store their belongings during the school day. Lockers are school property and thus must be kept clean and can be inspected at any time.

For security reasons, the combination should be kept private and not shared with any other student in the school. We strongly recommend that all students take advantage of their locker space to reduce the strain on their backs that carrying all of their books around all day long would cause. The ideal times for locker use are first thing in the morning, right before lunch, and then again at the end of the school day. A separate gym locker will be issued to each student during the first week of classes.

LOST AND FOUND We have a lost and found which, after only a few short weeks of school, is filled with misplaced belongings. The lost and found is located near the auditorium at the base of the central stairway.

When purses, glasses, jewelry, or other small, valuable items are found, they are generally kept in the office rather than in the lost and found.

Please make sure to put names on all articles of clothing brought to school. We have many coats, shoes, and even glasses left here at the end of the year. Names placed on articles help us reunite missing items with their owners.

LUNCH Middle school students are not allowed to leave the school grounds for lunch unless they have been signed out by a parent. They may bring lunch to school or purchase it in the school cafeteria. Student lunches cost $3.75; students may also buy Ă la carte items. (The lunch program can be accessed through the district website for more detailed and current information.)

Free and reduced price lunches are available to those who qualify. Applications for free and reduced lunch are available in the district office. The cafeteria maintains a prepaid PIN system that can be programmed with limitations on the items that may be purchased.

It is important that middle school students have some unstructured time in their day. During lunch, students have the opportunity to relax and play outside or in a gymnasium, depending on weather and gymnasium availability.

Breakfast is also available to students who arrive at school between 7:00 and 7:20 a.m. Available for purchase are fresh baked muffins, bagels, fruit, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, and juice.

LUNCH DETENTIONS Students who arrive late to school more than three times in one semester will be assigned to lunch detention. Students may also be assigned to lunch detention for other behavioral infractions. Students serving a lunch detention report first to the cafeteria; a detention monitor will then escort students serving lunch detention to the detention room.

Consequences of too many lunch detentions include students being in jeopardy of participating in school trips at the end of the year.

MEDICATIONS Students may not have any medications, even over-the-counter medications, in their possession at school. All medications need to be kept in the nurse’s office and must be administered by the

nurse. If a child requires over-the-counter medications, they must have a note indicating dosage and frequency of dosage along with the medications. The child must know to bring the medication to the nurse’s office first thing in the morning. If prescription medication is required, the medication, in its original container, must also be kept in the nurse’s office.

PARENT PORTAL The Parent Portal is a tool that enhances and increases parent involvement in their child’s education. Upon creating an account, parents are able to log in and view their child’s current attendance record, individual assignment grades, progress reports, and report cards. Many parents find it enormously helpful and we strongly encourage all families use this free service. It can be accessed by looking under the “Family Resources” tab on the district home page.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES Parent-teacher conferences are held in the late fall and early spring of each year; the specific dates are published in the district calendar. All teachers are available in the gymnasium during conference times and report cards will be available online or distributed in the lobby outside the gymnasium.

PARKING Parking space is at a premium at Pierson. A small number of visitor spaces are available; all other spaces are needed for staff. There is parking available on the street. There is no visitor parking available in the faculty lot on the East side of the building (Jermain lot). Please respect the designated handicapped parking spaces. On-campus parking is monitored by the Sag Harbor Village Police Department. Parking outside designated spaces can inhibit the ability of other cars to enter or exit the lots and may put vehicle safety at risk.

PERSONAL PROPERTY Students are responsible for the safety and security of their personal property. While we are proud of the safe environment we enjoy here at Pierson, we cannot guarantee the security of personal items brought to school.

PRINCIPAL’S HONOR ROLL We acknowledge academic achievement. At the end of each marking period, parents of students who are on the Honor Roll and the Principal’s Honor Roll will receive a letter.

Criteria for Principal’s Honor Roll: • 90% or above overall average with no grades below 80 • No incomplete grades Students are also recognized at the annual awards program held at the end of each school year.

At that time, we honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in their educational endeavors.

PROMOTION Student success at higher grade levels is built upon a firm foundation of accomplishment and achievement. Therefore, promotion to the next grade level occurs upon satisfactory completion of all courses. Students who fail a core subject are required to attend summer school. Students who fail two or more courses are prohibited from participating in the moving up ceremony.

PARENT-TEACHER-STUDENT ASSOCIATION (PTSA) Membership in the Pierson PTSA is open to students, parents, and teachers. The PTSA works closely with the administrators and teachers to support and assist our students. Contact the PTSA President through our website for further information.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURES Students entering Pierson Middle School for the first time must register in the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) office. Please contact Kristen Doerr at extension 456 for more information.

REPORT CARDS/PROGRESS REPORTS Progress Reports will be issued midway through each ten-week marking period; the dates for reporting periods are in the district calendar. All progress reports and report cards are available electronically on the Parent Portal.

SAFETY AND SECURITY Every effort is made to provide a safe learning environment for all students. Any student who has a concern about his/her safety or security should see a counselor, administrator, or any staff member immediately. Students should report any dangerous or threatening behavior to school authorities.

Our school maintains a zero tolerance for bullying behaviors. Please communicate any report of these behaviors to Mr. Mingione, Ms. Miaritis, or a classroom teacher immediately.

SPECIAL EVENT DAYS Special event days promote shared values and build a sense of community. Several such days are already a part of the culture and tradition at Pierson Middle School. Those days are: • • • • • • • •

Math Day Mix It Up at Lunch Day P.S. I Love You Day Red Ribbon Week Field Day The Great Read-In Day Talent Show Grandparents’ Snowflake Tea

Other days may be added during the school year. Our faculty is always mindful of ways to improve our program and better meet the needs of our students.

STUDENT PLANNERS All students are issued a planner at the beginning of the year. Replacement planners are available in the main office at a cost of $7. The planner is designed to help students develop effective study habits and accept accountability for their own responsibilities and should be carried at all times.

SUMMER READING PROGRAM Information regarding our summer reading program is disseminated at the end of the school year.

Students are expected to complete their assigned reading. Work will be assigned related to the reading and will be due in early September.

SUSPENSIONS A major disciplinary infraction or repeated infractions of a lesser magnitude may result in an inschool or out-of-school suspension. Parents and students have the opportunity to discuss the suspension with the principal. Severe or chronic misbehavior may result in a principal’s hearing, a manifestation hearing, and/or a superintendent’s hearing, the outcome of which could be removal of a student from school for an extended period of time.

TARDY PROCEDURES We have developed practices to help students understand the importance of punctuality. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, lack of punctuality is the most common reason why employees are dismissed from their first jobs. Our goal is to make punctuality a habit.

TELEPHONE MESSAGES TO STUDENTS AND USE OF TELEPHONES Students may use the telephone in the main office to make necessary phone calls. Generally, a staff member will ask a student to explain why he or she needs to use the phone. Students are not allowed to use the office phone to make social arrangements for after school or for similar personal calls.

Of course, we will always assist parents who need to leave important messages for their children.

However, courtesy and understanding for our office staff would be appreciated in this regard. The end and beginning of the day are especially busy in the office, with announcements regarding sports, clubs, and other daily business that students and staff must hear.

TEXTBOOKS Textbooks will be assigned by the content area teachers. A record is kept of each book that is assigned. Students must return the same textbook at the end of the year. If the book is damaged or not returned, parents will be notified of the cost to replace the text.

VISITORS ON CAMPUS We encourage parents to visit our school. For the safety of the students, all parents and other visitors must sign in and wear a “visitor� badge while in the school. If parents intend to visit a particular teacher, they should come to the office so that we may call a classroom to assure that a teacher is available. Students from other districts may not visit classrooms as companions of students unless specifically approved by an administrator in advance.

WEBSITE Check our website www.sagharborschools.org for district and school information. Information for the middle school is updated regularly. Our website is the best resource for all Pierson information.

QUESTIONS? Call us anytime at (631) 725-5302