|
|
|
|
The ArtsWest Handbook
|
A bulletin is issued to each staff member every day. The bulletin includes announcements of importance to students and faculty. Bulletins are read each day in your first period class and posted in the room for further reference.
Courses at ARTSWEST SCHOOL are graded A, B, C, I or NC. An “I” grade is used to indicate the course work is incomplete, and the student may have up to two weeks of the next semester, based on a student-teacher contract, to complete the work. An “NC” grade indicates the student will not receive credit and must retake the class if it is a graduation requirement class.
Teachers will provide specific grading criteria in each class.
If you become ill during the day, you should report to the main office. If you are too ill to attend class, the office will notify your parents to take you home. ARTSWEST SCHOOL does not have a school nurse nor health center available. All teachers and most other staff members have been trained and certified in First Aid and can assist with minor injuries. First Aid supplies are available in the main office.
Requests for homework will only be made for students who will be missing two or more days of school. It is suggested students have the telephone number of a study buddy in each class whom they can call for assignments for short absences.
Requests for homework will be handled on a 24 hour turnaround. Following the day of the request, all homework assignments are due in the main office from teachers by 3:00 p.m. where they may be picked up by a designated friend or parent. Students with prearranged absences should request homework from their teachers a minimum of four days before the absence begins.
When the school obtains lockers, they will be issued to students out of the main office. It is expected that there will be only one student in a locker. It is incumbent upon the student to keep access to his or her locker private. The ARTSWEST SCHOOL assumes no responsibility for loss, theft, or vandalism to any personal items stored in your locker or brought on campus!
Lockers are the property of the ARTSWEST SCHOOL and may be subjected to a general search and seizure of illegal items at the discretion of the administration. No right nor expectation of privacy exists for any students as to the use of any locker issued or assigned to a student.
Items that are lost or found are turned in to the Main Office and may be retrieved there after proper identification. It is recommended name tags or other means of identifying ownership be placed on all personal items.
School personnel cannot provide students with any medication whatsoever. If you must take medication while at school, you must bring written permission from your parent/guardian with instructions as to how the medication is to be taken and for the length of time needed. These instructions and medications will be kept on file in the main office. If refrigeration is necessary, this must be included in the instructions.
Pagers, cell phones, or other means of communicating electronically may not be used during class times. They must be turned off at all times the student is in a class. If a parent needs to communicate with a student during class time in case of emergency only, the call will have to come to the main office, and a note will be delivered to the student to make contact with the parent. Messages from persons other than a parent will not be delivered. Students will be able to check voice mail messages between classes or during lunch.
Student guests and/or younger brothers or sisters are not allowed to attend classes at ARTSWEST SCHOOL. There simply is not room in the classrooms for guests. Parents and guardians are welcome at any time but are requested to check in at the main office upon arrival. For the safety of our students, we do not allow anyone on campus who does not have a guest pass from the main office.
Back to top
Regular attendance and punctuality are expected of all ARTSWEST SCHOOL students. Students will not be able to succeed in either skill based or academic based classes unless they are present for instruction, guided practice, and participation. Although the school has not set an arbitrary number of absences as an automatic loss of credit, attendance and participation are incorporated in the grading standards for every class. Students who do not attend regularly cannot expect to achieve the results they desire in terms of grades or performance levels. Regular and prompt attendance is a life skill necessary in whatever endeavors you pursue in the future.
Please remember that when you miss a 90 minute class, it is the equivalent of missing 2 days of a 50 minute class. You are earning 2 credits per semester for 90 minute classes, and they move through material quickly.
Back to top
If your child is going to be absent on a given day, please call the school immediately. Otherwise, when your son or daughter is reported absent in first period, we will be calling you. Likewise, if a student who was present in first period is absent any time later in the day and does not have an official early dismissal, a call will be made to the home (or work number if appropriate) notifying the parent of the student’s absence. We will do our best to inform parents, but it will save everyone time and worry, if parents keep the school informed, also.
Back to top
Come to school and stay at school every day. Bring a note excusing any absence from school. If making arrangements for a long-term, pre-arranged absence, give your teachers a minimum of four days notice. Turn in assignments before you leave if possible, or promptly when you return.
Back to top
Take roll every period and record it in a permanent file. First period write the names on an attendance sheet which will be picked up and made into a master absence list that will be distributed to you by second period. Periods 2-5 check your absences against that list. If someone is missing who is not on the list, either for an all day absence or an early dismissal hat affects your period, notify the office immediately. We will notify the parent. Make clear in every class what impact absences have on the academic progress a student makes in your class; show them the effect of non-participation on their grades, etc. If a student is absent frequently from your class, and this is impacting his or her academic progress, notify the parent immediately. In addition to the office calling, your call regarding academic progress will have a major impact.
Back to top
It is the intention of the ARTSWEST SCHOOL to create a culture of safety, kindness, respect for others and their property, acceptance of a variety of perspectives, and the celebration of individual’s gifts. We want everyone to experience the joy of success and acceptance. It is up to each of us to work actively to create that culture, first by our own behaviors, and secondly by intervening when inappropriate behaviors are observed.
In a perfect world we would not need to have rules, but sometimes rules are necessary to remind us what the expectations are and what we should and should not be doing. The following pages will help all of us to create an outstanding school environment.
We expect our students to select appropriate school attire that promotes a safe and orderly environment. As a matter of health and safety, everyone must be fully clothed, including shoes or sandals and shirts. Students who do not dress appropriately will be asked to change and/or be sent home. We expect students to follow these guidelines:
- Gang attire of any kind is strictly prohibited. Garments that promote drugs, alcohol, or tobacco or that include vulgar or suggestive words, graphics, pictures, or are in any way demeaning to other persons or groups are not allowed.
- Revealing garments are not allowed, including short shirts, muscle shirts, spaghetti straps, low necklines, bare backs or midriffs, and items made of see-through fabric.
- Pants and skirts are to be worn at the waist; if hip huggers are worn there must not be bare skin showing between the top of the skirt or pant and the bottom of the shirt.
- Shorts may be worn in warm weather months. All shorts, skirts, and dresses should be fingertip length or longer.
- Shoes and/or other solid sole foot coverings must be worn at all times for safety reasons except during classes (such as drama, PE, or dance) when the teacher wants you to wear stockings or be bare foot or wear other footwear.
- Hats or hoods are not to be worn inside the classrooms.
Honesty is a compelling principle by which we operate all aspects of student and school life. Forging attendance notes or other school documents is a serious offense and will result in disciplinary action. Academic honesty is highly valued at ARTSWEST SCHOOL. Students do not cheat, nor should they tolerate other students who do. Therefore, students do not receive credit for work that is not their own. Disciplinary sanctions will be administered for cheating on any school assignment or plagiarism, which is the use of material produced by someone else without acknowledging its source. This includes information copied from internet sources without appropriate acknowledgement.
Cheating is an attempt to earn credit or receive a grade for course work (tests, quizzes, assignments involving computer discs, major projects and major essays) in a manner other than defined as acceptable by the teacher.
Because of the serious nature of academic honesty, violations of this code will result in lost of credit for the assignment. It may also entail loss of credit for the course, removal from the course with loss of credit and/or additional disciplinary action.
The use, possession or sale of alcohol and alcoholic substances is prohibited. The use, possession, or sale of drugs, narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and other illegal substances is also prohibited. This includes substances purported to be drugs.
Violation of this policy will result in a suspension which may be reduced in length provided the student completes an assessment by a drug/alcohol counselor and adheres to all recommendations. Cumulative violations will result in suspension/expulsion.
Regular assemblies are provided for the students’ benefit and are considered an integral part of the teaching and learning program at the ARTSWEST SCHOOL. They are treated as a class period. It is expected that all students will attend all assemblies.
All use of computer systems must be in support of education and research or school approved extracurricular activities. Malicious use of the system to harass other users or attempts to damage the components of a computer or computing system is prohibited. Users are responsible for the appropriateness and content of material they store, transmit or publish on the system. Use of any computer system to access, store, or distribute obscene or pornographic material is prohibited.
Behaviors which are criminal in nature, i.e. bomb threats, arson, false fire alarms, extortion, forgery, theft, assault, etc. will result in a police referral and include disciplinary action up to and including long term suspension or expulsion.
At all school-sponsored activities, all school rules apply, including no drinking, no drugs or narcotics, no smoking, and no obscene or vulgar language. Guests are welcome at ARTSWEST SCHOOL activities but will be expected to comply with all school rules.
By state law, it is a gross misdemeanor for any person to carry a dangerous weapon, firearm, or certain other devices which may cause harm to others or self, onto public or private school premises. This includes school transportation and areas of non-school facilities that are being used exclusively for school activities. It is important to know that: A student carrying a dangerous weapon may be expelled; a student carrying a firearm must be expelled.
Students who possess a weapon or carry, exhibit, display or draw any weapon or item apparently capable of producing bodily harm in a manner which, under the circumstances, intimidates another or warrants alarm for the safety of others will be subject to discipline up to and including expulsion.
“Possession” includes but is not limited to, having a weapon on school property or at a school-sponsored event located: (a)in a space assigned to a student such as a locker or desk; (b) on the student’s person or property (such as on the student’s body, in his/her clothing, purse, backpack, gym bag or vehicle); or (c) under the student’s control or accessible or available, such as hidden by the student.
Fighting or physical assault of any kind is prohibited at school and school events. Students involved in such behavior will be suspended from school and a police referral will be made.
Students are expected to refrain from conducting themselves in a manner that would endanger the physical or mental welfare of others. This includes any type of bullying, including over the internet. Harassment, sexual harassment, hazing, threatening statements, intimidation, coercion, and verbal abuse are not allowed and violations will result in disciplinary action up to and including suspension.
Malicious Harassment- Malicious harassment is an overt act of prejudice or harassment related to a person’s race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, or a mental, physical or sensory handicap.
Sexual Harassment- Harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of Section 703 of Title VII. Sexual harassment consists of sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other inappropriate verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when it creates a hostile or offensive employment or education environment.
Open displays of physical affection are not appropriate at school and students should refrain from such behavior.
ARTSWEST SCHOOL is a closed campus. Students who have a need o leave campus during the school day on a regular basis must have parent and administrative permission to do so. This privilege may be revoked by parent request and/or violation of the policy.
Leaving During the School Day-Students needing to leave campus for appointments may do so by parent permission. Students should bring a note requesting the early dismissal to the Main Office prior to school beginning in the morning and receive an Early Dismissal form that can be shown to the teacher when it is time to leave the campus. A parent may also call the Main Office To arrange for an Early Dismissal. Leave requests should specify the time the student should leave the campus and expected return time, if applicable.
Lunch Passes-Only juniors and seniors may leave campus for lunch. Under no circumstances may they take an underclassman to lunch in their car. Doing so will jeopardize their off-campus lunch privileges. For a non-related junior or senior to ride in the car of a junior and senior, there must be a signed permission slip from the parent or guardian on file in the office prior to the non-driving junior or senior leaving campus. A note may be written for one time only or for a specified length of time, i.e. fall semester or all year. Permission to ride with a specific student driver is non-transferable—it does not grant permission to ride with any driver not specifically named. This regulation is for the liability benefit of both the driver and rider. Before giving permission for a student to leave campus in another student’s car, parents should check out the status of the insurance of the driver. The ARTSWEST SCHOOL does not assume any liability for students who leave campus in another student’s car. Students who leave campus for lunch should be aware of the limited time—30 minutes. Traffic and long lines at McDonald’s are not excused tardies.
Posters must be initialed by a staff member. Posters must reflect good taste and must be removed within two days after the completion of the event. Please ask the teacher before placing any posters inside classrooms.
Tobacco or tobacco-related products used by or in the possession of a student on school property or at school related activities will be confiscated and the student will be assigned consequences ranging from detention to short term suspension to long term suspension for repeated offenses. This includes tobacco products that are designed to be either smoked or chewed.
Students are not to visit cars or to be in the parking lot during the school day. Cars are not to be used as lockers for books or equipment storage during the school day. Parking your car in the parking lot is a privilege. We ask that you observe the parking lines as you park your car and that you drive carefully and slowly at all times to ensure the safety of your fellow students and staff.
If you break something, you pay for it. The school has an abundance of expensive equipment in computer labs, science rooms, music studios, etc. BE CAREFUL!! Willful damage of personal or school property or the unauthorized taking of property will result in disciplinary action as well as financial remuneration.
Back to top
Principal Elaine Klein
Secretaries
am: Naomi Miller
pm: Audrey Simmons
Art Jim O’Halloran
Patrick Stoll
Dance Carol Fipps
Drama Jeffrey Gunstream, Jenny Sternling
English Leora McCloskey, Janette Howell
Health, Spanish Michelle Klonowski
Mathematics Russell Morgan
Music
Contemporary Justin Nielsen
Classical Jeff Romero
Vocal Jeff Baker
Science Keith Barnes, Michael Dimick
Social Sciences Brendan Earle
CLASS ADVISORY LIST
7 Jeffrey Gunstream
8 Brendan Earle
9 Leora McCloskey
10 Russell Morgan
Justin Nielsen
11 Keith Barnes
12 Jeff Baker
Jeff Romero
Back to top
|
|
|
