Procedures

Parents/guardians are welcomed and encouraged to visit the school. Please be aware that to ensure the safety of our school, ALL DOORS will remain locked. Periodically, or as the situation warrants, a trained dog may be used to sniff the area around vehicles, lockers, desks, book bags, purses, or other items that are on district property or at a district sponsored event. The dog may be used to conduct a random sniff search of any or all student's possessions; or when based on reasonable suspicions, a specifically targeted search of a student's possessions, including, but not limited to the student's locker, desk, vehicle parked on school property, purse, pockets, clothing, or other items.

Teachers or the Office may detain students after school until 4:00 p.m. for discipline and/or academic reasons with 24-hour notice. Students are responsible for notifying their parents if a detention is to be served. However, if parental permission and transportation are arranged, a student may be kept after school on any day.

Students who receive an assigned Office detention are to report to the office/designated classroom after walkers are dismissed with their homework and textbooks. After a roll call, students are expected to do assigned homework, study, or review material already covered in a subject. Students should bring enough work to keep productive until 4:00 p.m.

Unless staying after school under the supervision of a teacher or coach, students are to walk out of the building after being dismissed by the teacher when dismissal bells have rung. Upon exiting, bus students are to proceed directly to their bus. Any student not riding a bus on any given day is to remain in the classroom and be dismissed as a walking student.

When the evacuation drill alarm sounds, each room proceeds out of the building according to the directions posted in the front of the room. In the event that the assigned route is blocked, the nearest exit available should be used. All students should remain silent, during evacuation and all emergency drills and follow directions of teachers, administrators and staff.

Upon arrival students must enter the building and remain seated in the cafeteria until 7:30 AM. When the bell rings, students are to report to lockers and classroom. Walking students should arrange their personal schedules so that they arrive between 7:28 and 7:40 AM. Once in their classroom, students must obtain permission to leave the classroom.

Thanks to waivers for the USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during the height of the pandemic, all school districts who participated in the NSLP were able to offer free meals to all students. These waivers expired at the end of school year 2021-2022, so schools must return to charging for breakfast and lunch and can only offer free or reduced-priced meals to students who qualify for those benefits. All students, regardless of meal status are offered the same nutritious meal options and are encouraged to dine in the cafeteria together. 

To learn about breakfast and lunch meals provided at schools, and how to apply for free or reduced cost meals, please visit the Food Services Web site.

If a student is uninsured and ineligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may be able to help. Please visit the CHIP Web site.

Student accident insurance is available to all students. For students who expect to participate in any organized athletic team, insurance is mandatory and is paid by the individual student. For more information on how to purchase Student Accident Insurance, please visit the District’s Student Accident Insurance Web page.

Lavatories should be used between classes and during lunch periods only. Lavatories may not be used as a meeting place or a place to loiter at any time.

After arriving on school property and/or entering the building, a pupil may not leave the school grounds without permission.

The Library is open all day for research and academic purposes. Most books in the library can be borrowed for three weeks; reference books, encyclopedias and magazines may be borrowed overnight and returned the following day. You are responsible for materials borrowed from the library. If you lose it or it is destroyed after you borrow it, you must pay for its replacement.

You may print from the computers in the library; however, we must insist that you ask the librarian or your classroom teacher to see what you are printing BEFORE you print the material. Ask the librarian for copies to be made from print sources (books, magazines, etc.)

Students are permitted to come to the library at the following times:

• Before homeroom - with a signed agenda pass from your homeroom teacher - students can take out or bring back books, do last minute research, type on a computer, etc.
• During the school day - with your class or teacher. Teachers are encouraged to schedule library time if they assign a project to their class that requires research. Usually, the teacher makes arrangements with the librarian and brings the class to the library at the prearranged time. Often the librarian can give a short lesson tailor-made for the research project.
• During the school day - individually or in small groups. If a student is absent for #2; if someone needs extra time to complete research; a "teachable moment" compels an individual to do research; or a small group needs extra time in the library, teachers are encouraged to send students to the library with a signed agenda pass. Teachers are asked to call the library first, especially if computer use is involved.
• Whenever possible, students will be accommodated, as long as they have an agenda pass signed by a teacher.

1. Students should be patient and careful in trying to open lockers with combination locks. Overloading and kicking of lockers, as evidenced by black marks and dents, will not be tolerated. Students will be charged for damages.
2. You are responsible for remembering the combination to your locker. Do not tell other students your locker combination or preset your locker. Students should not share a locker. Locker doors should be closed gently without slamming. Garments and books should be kept clear.
3. Students may go to their lockers without special passes at these times:
   1. Immediately upon arriving before morning homeroom period.
   2. Each team will designate specific locker stops.
   3. Before leaving school.
4. Students should make locker visits as orderly and quietly as possible, taking care not to block the corridors.
5. If your locker is damaged or will not work properly, please report it before/after school or during your lunch period.
6. Lockers are the property of the school and may be searched by an administrator at any time. (See definition of Search & Seizure.)
7. All outerwear (hats, jackets, sunglasses, etc.) must be placed in the locker.
8. Hall and Gym lockers must be used and locked. Theft of personal property is the student's responsibility if the Hall and Gym locker is not being used properly.

All lockers and other storage areas provided for student use on school premises remain the property of the school and are provided for the use of the students, subject to inspection, access for maintenance, and search pursuant to this section. No student shall lock or otherwise impede access to any locker or storage area except with a lock provided by the principal of the school in which the locker or storage area is located.

• The principal or his/her designee may search any locker, with or without the student being present, in the interest of health, welfare, and safety of all school students.
• The principal or his/her designee may search a desk or any other storage area.

The principal or his/her designee may search the person of a student during a school activity. Searches of a student shall include, but not be limited to any object in the possession of the student such as a purse, book bag, duffel bag, etc.

Student Identification Cards are issued to students at the beginning of each school year. They are essential to the efficiency of many school functions and to school safety.

ID cards are required for entrance into after -school functions such as dances and activity nights. They are also required for signing books out of the Library.

Students who lose their ID cards MUST purchase a new ID card immediately from the Main Office for a fee of $5.00.

ONLY EMERGENCY messages/materials can be forwarded to students. Please make all necessary arrangements in advance.

The phones within the Middle School offices and classrooms serve the primary functions of intra-school communication, teacher-parent communication, and communication during an emergency. Students may use school phones in the case of emergencies, but it is important that they plan ahead with parents/guardians to make after-school arrangements and to set up rides.

Care of School Property/Books:

1. Books - Schoolbooks are owned by the school and loaned to students. If a student loses a book or damages it, he/she will be required to pay a pro-rated amount. Identify your books (place your full name in the space provided inside the front cover). This includes but is not limited to the student’s agenda.
    
2. Equipment and Facilities - Students found damaging school property of any kind will be required to make restitution.
    
3. Damage to Computers - The use of the computer/Internet is a privilege. Please see the documentation and agreements on the 1-to-1 Computing Web page.
    
4. Personal Well-being - Students may be held financially responsible for any physical injury inflicted, or damage to, another’s personal property