The parent or guardian must call the school attendance
office at (412) 885-7534 and report the absence to
the school secretary. If the parent fails to report
the absence, the school will call the parent on the
day of the absence for verification.
Students
who have been absent from school must bring an excuse
as required by state law. This excuse should be brought
on the day the students return from being absent
and must include: (1) date(s) of absence (2) reason
for absence, and (3) signature of parent/guardian.
The excuse will be given to the 1st Period teacher.
If a student does not provide an excuse within one
week after the return from the absence, the student
will be issued an after-school detention. If an excuse
is not received, the absence is considered illegal.
Parents may be contacted by school personnel if student
absenteeism or tardiness is excessive.
Early
Dismissals
A student
requesting an early dismissal from school must bring
an excuse from his/her parent/guardian. This excuse
should include the (1) date (2) time of dismissal
(3) reason for the request, and (4) signature of
parent/guardian. It is school policy that any student
being excused early from school must be picked up
by a parent/guardian in the school office.
Tardiness
to School/Class
Students
arriving after 8:20 AM are considered tardy. Any
student reporting late to school must have a written
note from the parent/guardian explaining the reason
for being tardy. Students reporting after 8:20 A.M.
must report to the attendance office. Any student
accumulating four unexcused tardies to school will
receive an after-school detention and/or office referral
with further consequences.
Students
are given four minutes between classes. During this
time, in order to minimize classroom disruptions,
students may use the lavatories and the water fountains,
and stop at their lockers. Students MUST report to
class on time, or they will be considered tardy.
A student
who is late to class without a written excuse or
pass (unexcused tardy) shall receive a tardy notice.
The parent/guardian shall be notified by the student’s
team teachers once the student accumulates three
unexcused tardy notices. Additional unexcused tardies
shall result in an after-school detention and/or
office referral with further consequences.
Dress
Code
Recognizing that each student's mode of dress and
grooming is a manifestation of personal style and
individual preference, the school district will not
interfere with the rights of students and their parents
to make decisions regarding their appearance except
when their choices:
-
present a hazard to the health
or safety of the student or to others.
-
materially interfere with school
work, create disorder, or disrupt the educational
process.
-
cause excessive wear or damage
to school property.
-
prevent the student from achieving appropriate
educational objectives.
The school
district follows the provisions of the Regulations
and Guidelines on Student Rights and Responsibilities,
22 PA Code, Section 12.11. In addition, the following
specific guidelines for dress and grooming will be
followed:
-
T-shirts or other clothing promoting
obscene, profane and other content likely to
disrupt the educational process, and messages
promoting drugs or alcohol are not permitted.
-
Spandex or other tight-fitting
apparel, tank tops, halter tops, bare chests
or midriffs, or half-shirts and other provocative
apparel are not permitted.
-
The wearing of hats, hoods, or
other headwear in a school building is not
permitted. An exception to the wearing of headwear
may be granted to an individual student by
the administration for medical reasons.
Students
may be required to wear certain types of clothing
while participating in physical education classes,
industrial technology, extracurricular activities,
or other situations where special attire may be required
to ensure the health or safety of the student.
Additionally,
coats and jackets should be stored in lockers,
and are not to be worn in the building during the
school day. To ensure safety, students are not
permitted to have wallet chains in the school.
Transportation
Those students who are eligible are transported
to school by bus. Each student for whom transportation
is provided will be assigned to a route and a stop.
Students are not permitted to transfer to other stops
and/or routes.
Parent(s)
may request in writing that a student be permanently
reassigned to a different stop and/or routes. Each
request will be reviewed by the appropriate school
district administrator. Parents may also request
in writing a temporary change in buses to accommodate
unusual situations. Due to the limited availability
of seats, the principal will authorize changes only
when no other arrangements can be made.
Riding
the school bus should be regarded as a privilege
that carries with it certain student responsibilities.
Student cooperation is necessary to ensure safety.
Conduct and safety rules should be stressed at home,
as well as at school. Students may be suspended from
the school bus for improper behavior.
Agendas
A Student Agenda Book is provided for all students
during the first week of school. All children are required
to maintain their Agenda throughout the school year.
The Agenda serves two main purposes at our school:
• Organizational Planner
• Hall Pass
It is the expectation
of all teachers that children record their assignments
in their Agendas on a daily basis. The Agenda helps
students and parents keep track of all assignments
and academic progress in each class. The Student Agenda
is the core component in successful organization.
The Agenda
also serves as a hall pass for all students needing
to leave class. Student movement within the building
can be documented and monitored through the use of
the Agenda. This high level of student accountability
is also a key component of our school safety plan and
bullying prevention program.
Any student
that loses the Agenda must purchase a replacement copy
from the school office immediately.
Homework
Homework is any planned activity assigned by the
teacher to be completed beyond the scheduled classroom
time. Homework is an integral component of the educational
process. Research indicates that homework enhances
achievement. Its purpose is to prepare students for
new concepts and to reinforce previous learning.
Objectives
of Homework
-
Homework reinforces learning through
practice, application, integration, and/or extension
of knowledge and skills.
-
Homework develops study skills,
work habits, and a sense of personal responsibility
so that the student may become an independent
learner.
-
Homework prepares the student for
subsequent class activities.
Responsibilities
The school
district believes that administrators, teachers,
students, and parents share the responsibility for
ensuring the success of homework assignments. Administrators
are responsible for providing the necessary leadership,
support, and supervision to effectively implement
the homework policy. Teachers are responsible for
establishing and conveying homework criteria and
procedures, and for providing constructive feedback
to students.
Homework
assignments should be meaningful, related to course
objectives, and
not be given as a punishment. The student is responsible for completing all assignments
according to the teacher’s establishes criteria and procedures. Parents
are responsible for providing the work area, time, and conditions necessary for
the student to successfully complete the homework assignments.
Administrators, teachers, students, and parents should be aware that after-school
activities require time and attention;however, such commitments are unacceptable
reasons for not completing homework. The completion of homework assignments may
impact a student’s grade.
Suggested
Guidelines
Based on
current research and accepted practices, the time
listed below is the range of recommended daily minutes
that should be spent on homework.
Middle School(Grades
6-8) 60 -90 Minutes
Variables
that affect the time spent on homework include the
student’s grade level, course selections, study
habits, needs and abilities, and type of homework
assigned.
Locker
Information
Each student at J.E. Harrison Middle School is
issued a locker for his/her use. It is the student's
responsibility to follow the rules and guidelines
in using the lockers which are listed below:
-
Each student is assigned a locker.
-
There is no sharing of lockers.
-
Lockers are to be kept neat and clean.
-
Nothing may be permanently attached to the
inside or outside of the locker.
-
Lockers are considered school property.
J.E. Harrison
Middle School is not responsible for the personal
effects kept in lockers.
It is strongly
recommended that each student keep a lock on the
locker. The lock may be a key lock or a combination
lock. In either case a copy of the combination or
an extra key should be given to the student's homebase
teacher in case it is lost. It is recommended that
locks NOT be purchased until after the first school
day so as to determine the exact type and size of
lock that is needed.
Study
Halls
Study halls are primarily for study; therefore,
all students will bring study or reading materials
to study hall. Students may be able to work in small
groups in study hall with teacher permission. Study
hall teachers may issue passes to the office, library,
counselor's office, and lavatories. Students desiring
to see a teacher other than their study hall teacher
must have previously obtained a pass from that teacher.
Educational
Tours/Trips (not school sponsored)
Students may be excused for family vacations and
for non-school sponsored educational trips.
Educational
trips must receive prior approval from the principal.
Parents must submit a written request two weeks in
advance detailing the dates of the educational trip,
the destination, and an assurance that the trip could
not be scheduled on non-school time.
The principal
will notify the parent, in writing, of the decision
regarding the appropriateness of the trip. The student
is responsible for completing all classroom assignments
given during the absence.
Make-up
Work
Students, who are absent for one day, should be
prepared to request homework from their teachers
upon their return to school. Students who are absent
for more than one day may request that a fellow student
pick up their assignments or may have a parent/guardian
pick up assignments for them. The parent/guardian
should notify the office secretary no later than
9:00 AM of the request that homework assignments
be collected from teachers. He or she should also
tell the secretary who will be picking up the homework
at the end of the day. Students are responsible for
making up all work missed.
