The Mission of Chocksett
School is to improve the acquisition of knowledge, the development of skills for
learning, the understanding of ideas and values, and the enhancement of
individual potential. Our graduates
will be prepared to further pursue their life goals and be citizens whose
actions reflect sound character, ethical behavior and a clear understanding of
their own and others’ self-worth and dignity.
Education
Excellence
“Try your best, study and pay
attention.”
Ethical
Behavior
“All students should tell the
truth and show fairness to classmates, parents, and teachers. All students should show self respect
for all and everyone’s property.”
Human
Diversity
“If someone is different,
accept their differences.”
Individual
Potential
“You develop within a school
environment that will build mind, body, soul and artistic
growth.”
Lifelong
Learning
“You never stop
learning. You learn everywhere you
go.”
Productive
Effort
“If you want to learn, you’ve
got to work. You can’t just give
up. You have to keep
trying.”
ACADEMICS
Graduation
A
grade eight student who receives more than one failing final grade average in an
academic subject may be ineligible to graduate.
Student Areas of
Grading
Students will receive
achievement, conduct and effort marks from each of their teachers. The only exception will be in a course
that is designed to be handled differently and about which a parent has been
informed.
Achievement
Conduct / Effort
A
– Excellent
90 - 100
1 – Satisfactory
B
– Above Average 80 -
89
2 – Room for
C
– Average
70 – 79
Improvement
D
– Below Average
60 – 69
3 – Unacceptable
F
– Failing
59 & below
All students receive letter
grades.
Other
Marks
Students will receive a
conduct and an effort grade from each of their teachers. Students who are guilty of a major
conduct infraction (e.g. Fighting) may be given a 3 in conduct by the teacher
involved. Students who accrue two
or more discipline referral forms from the same teacher for serious conduct
infractions during any marking period will receive a 3 in conduct.
Progress Reports / Report
Cards
Progress Reports will be sent
home in October, December, March and May and will indicate general aspects of
the student’s progress. Report
cards will be sent home in November, January, April and June. Both Progress Reports and Report Cards
should be signed and returned to school within 3 days. Your signature merely
indicates that you have seen the card.
Remember: CMS encourages communication between
parents and teachers at any time during the school year.
Honor Roll / Meritorious
Achievement & Chocksett Club
The purpose of the Honor Roll
is to recognize academic achievement.
All courses count towards the Honor Roll. In addition, students in grade 8 will be
recognized for outstanding achievement and conduct at the conclusion of the
school year. To qualify for the
Chocksett Club, students must earn twelve (12) or more ‘points’ during the four
marking periods in grade 7 and the first three marking periods in grade 8. Note: Points will not be issued to any
student receiving a 3 in conduct or accruing an excessive number of discipline
referrals during any marking period.
Students in Grades 7 and 8
are eligible for the Honor Roll each marking period and Chocksett Club points
are earned by meeting the following criteria:
Honors:
Chocksett Club
Points:
First Honors All A’s and
1 B
3 points
Second Honors All A’s and B’s
2 points
Third Honors All A’s, B’s and
1 C
1 point
Interruption of Academics
& Telephone and Cell Phone Use
Please be informed that
academic classes will NOT be interrupted unless in the event of an
emergency. All other messages,
information, homework, etc. will be passed along to students during AE or just
prior to dismissal.
Students may bring a cell
phone to school, however they must be kept in their lockers during the school
day. Cell phones should be used for before and after school use
only.
Students will not be allowed
to use office telephones unless in the event of an emergency. All other phone calls by students (i.e.
forgotten items) must be made using the payphone in the lobby. Students will ONLY be called to the
office to accept telephone calls in the case of an extreme
emergency.
Camera and Video Use
In
an attempt to protect student privacy, no cameras or video cameras are to be
brought to school. Pictures of
students will only be taken by, school staff, students assigned to Yearbook
Committee and or professional photographers. Pictures will only be published with
written consent of a parent.
ATTENDANCE
Students have a
responsibility to be in school on a regular basis. Students are responsible for being in
class on time and for attending all classes and assigned
activities.
Late
Arrivals
A
child arriving after
Absences
Parents/guardians are
requested to call a central number (978-422-6771) when their child is going to
be absent. This program allows
parents to call any time up until
PROCEDURE:
Telephone 978 422
6771
PLEASE SLOWLY AND CLEARLY
GIVE the following:
Caller’s Name, Student’s
Name, Grade and Homeroom Teacher.
Cancellation, Delays, Early
Release
School cancellation and
delayed opening announcements will be aired beginning at approximately
In
the event of an early release, the school will make announcements over the same
radio stations that carry school cancellations. Parents/Guardians are responsible for
seeing that their child knows where he/she is to go in the event that school is
dismissed early or any time the child’s parent may not be home, ahead of
time.
Homework for Absent
Students
Parents/Guardians may make
arrangements for homework, not class work, assignments when they call in their
child’s absence. Homework is an
assignment that can be done at home without assistance of a teacher. Class work is a work that needs teacher
assistance. However, if assignments
are requested, it is expected that they will be picked up and completed. The school should be called no later
than
Missed Work due to a Planned
Absence
It
is the position of CMS that if a student must be absent due to a planned
vacation, they are responsible for completing all make-up work upon their
return. Parents/Guardians should
consult with teacher(s) before the anticipated absence.
Student
Dismissals
CMS requires a note, dated
and signed, stating the name of the parent/guardian or his/her designee that
will be picking up the child. No
student will be dismissed from school in the custody of a person other than the
parent/guardian or other individuals as noted on the emergency card. Phone calls will NOT be accepted as a
request or as permission for dismissal, except for an emergency. The parent/guardian or his/her designee
must report to the office and may be asked to show proper identification
(driver’s license, etc.)
Legally, a child must be released to either parent unless a
restraining order is on file in our office.
ATHLETICS
Students who participate in
the athletics program, which includes but is not limited to track, basketball,
and cheerleading, must pass all subjects as reported on the most recent formal
communication with parents. Waivers
may be granted upon the recommendation of the Principal and Athletic
Director. Individual schools may
make adjustments to the WRSD policy requiring higher academic standards upon
consultation with S.I.M.C.O..
Students must demonstrate
appropriate behavior according to school standards. At the sole discretion of the principal,
a student may be declared ineligible for participation because of chronic
misbehavior or an incident of serious or major misconduct according to school
standards. Students scheduled to
attend after school disciplinary sessions on a day of practice or game must
attend the disciplinary session before being able to participate in an athletic
activity. Students who are serving
a suspension (internal or external) on the day of a practice or game are not
allowed to participate in an athletic program on that day. Students, who are absent from school for
all or part of a day due to illness or a non-emergency situation on the day of
practice or a game/event, are not allowed to participate in an athletic program
on that day.
Students cannot try
out for any sport team unless a physical examination report is completed, dated
within a year of the sports season and on file at the school Health
Office.
SCHOOL IMMUNIZATION LAW OF
MASSACHUSETTS, Chapter 76, Section 15, Massachusetts General Law states that
parents must provide documentation of immunization or have on file a religious
or medical exemption.
Documentation from the parent
that the student carries the school accident insurance plan or, that the family
carries adequate insurance, is required for participation.
ATTIRE
All students are expected to
be clean and dressed in a manner that will not disturb or distract other
students or teachers. Immodest
clothing is not acceptable; e.g., bare midriffs, halter-tops, short shorts. Hats and bandanas are not to be worn in
the classrooms, hallways, or cafeteria area but are acceptable for outdoor gym
class and recess. Wearing clothes
that display offensive language or images suggesting provocative, inappropriate,
or illegal behavior will not be allowed.
This includes writings/drawings on school bags and book covers. Law requires proper footwear. For safety purposes, heavy metal chains
or chain wallets are not to be worn to school or school
events.
CHOCKSETT COMPUTER
POLICY
Technology is available for
student academic use under the following guidelines: (a) Students may not install any
software on any computers or attempt to make copies of software that is on the
hard drive; (b) Respect others’ right to privacy and not access or use
information on a computer without permission of the owner of the information;
(c) Respect others’ property.
Do not make changes to or delete computer programs, files or information
that belong to others; (d) Use computers, software and related
technologies for purposes that are within the law, that are beneficial to others
or others’ property.
Internet – Students using the
internet do so with the following stipulations:(a) As to any interaction
with strangers, use common sense and exercise caution. Do not give out your phone number or
address. Privacy is not
guaranteed. Be careful of what you
say and how you say it. Report
problems or concerns to your teacher.
(b) Accept personal responsibility for appropriate use of
system. Abuses, i.e. pornography,
illegal solicitation, racism sexism, inappropriate language, are prohibited and
should be reported to your teacher.
(c) Use is limited to activities that support education and
research. Copyrighted materials,
plagiarizing works, threatening or obscene materials or trade secrets may not be
transmitted. Violation of this
provision could result in prosecution.
(d) Access to the network is a privilege, not a right and as such
may be revoked for cause, i.e. inappropriate use. Revocation of privileges may be
requested by administration, staff, faculty or anyone authorized by the building
Principal. The appeals process will
be the same as for any disciplinary infraction. (e) Online etiquette proceeds
from every day acceptable conduct and includes: being polite, using appropriate
language, maintaining all users’ privacy, appropriate use of e-mail (no support
of illegal or illicit activities), being considerate and not disrupting the
network by game playing or large scale downloading. (f) Network files are not private
and remain open to administrators to maintain system integrity, insure
appropriate use and to maintain hard drive storage. Additional storage beyond what is
pre-assigned may be requested through the building technology associate. (g) Users of the system do so at
their own risk. Damages, including
loss of data or information inaccuracies are not the responsibility of the
Wachusett Regional School District.
(h) Security remains a high priority. All users are responsible for system
security and should report problems to their teachers. (i) Breaches of
security include: use of another person’s password, access to another’s file
without permission, and use of another’s account. (j) Vandalism, including
malicious viruses will result in loss of privileges and possible legal
action.
Student work & photograph
display:
At
the beginning of every school year, CMS will send home a form where
parents/guardians are requested to either grant or deny permission for student’s
work and/or photograph’s to be displayed on school and District websites. This form is required to be returned to
school within 3 days. If we do not
receive a completed form, CMS must assume that no permission for either has been
given.
CONDUCT /
DISCIPLINE
It
is the school’s belief that all students are responsible, reasonable, and
respectful. However, certain rules
of conduct are necessary as guidelines to foster good citizenship and
productivity during school hours.
In
general, students are requested to respect the rights and property of others and
to avoid any kind of behavior that might endanger themselves or others
physically, socially or emotionally.
Each teacher is expected to
maintain classroom rules and regulations that foster an effective climate for
learning. Teachers and students
should not be subjected to continual disruptions in the classroom
setting.
Students who continuously
fail to respond to reasonable classroom rules of conduct will be referred to the
Assistant Principal. The Assistant
Principal will meet with all parties involved and has the authority to take
appropriate action.
Parents/guardians have the
right to know of complaints concerning their child’s behavior. Parents/guardians will be contacted by
the teacher(s) or the Assistant Principal when necessary. Experience shows that communication and
co- operation between parents/guardians and school personnel are essential to
success in this area.
If
the student’s behavior does not improve after the parents/ guardians have been
informed, an appointment will be made with the parents/guardians to meet with
the Assistant Principal and/or teacher(s) involved. There may be occasions when the student
will not be allowed to return to school until after this meeting takes
place.
The following are examples of
school conduct rules and regula- tions.
This list does not attempt to cover all possible situations. Specific matters not mentioned will be
handled as they occur in the best interest of the individual(s) involved as well
as the welfare of the school community.
a.
There will be no fighting in
school or on the playground.
Suspension from school may be in order.
b.
Physical and/or verbal abuse
toward any other students will not be tolerated. Suspension from school may be in
order.
c.
Truancy will result in a
petition to the District Court as required by law.
d.
Use of objectionable language
is not acceptable.
e.
Students will not abuse or
misuse school property.
f.
Students are expected to use
acceptable table manners while in the cafeteria
g.
Students are expected to pass
from one class to another in an orderly manner and go directly to their
class.
h.
Students must stay within
their designated playground area before school and during noon recess. Rough play will not be tolerated. Students are to line up quickly and
orderly when the bell rings.
i.
No gum, tobacco, drug or
alcohol use.
j.
Bicycle riders must go
directly to the bicycle racks when coming to school, place their bicycles in the
racks and go promptly to their play area.
Helmets may be secured on the bicycle or in the
classroom.
k.
Radios, CD players, walkmans
and video games are not allowed at school and will be confiscated and sent to
the office.
l.
NO SKATEBOARDING OR
ROLLERBLADING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS.
m.
Cheating will not be
tolerated. The teacher involved
will take appropriate action.
n.
Gross disrespect and
insubordination will result in parent notification and possible suspension from
school.
The Principal will suspend a
student from school for definite periods of time when the student’s behavior is
unacceptable. Parents/guardians
will be given a written notice explaining any suspension. Before a student may return from an
out-of-school suspension, the parents/guardians may be required to meet with the
administration and the teacher(s) involved. Discipline referral forms will be issued
to a student for an infraction of behavior rules. Students who are guilty of a major
conduct infraction may be given a ‘3’ in conduct on the report card. Students who accrue two or more
discipline referral forms from the same teacher for serious conduct infractions
during any marking period will receive a ‘3’ in conduct on the report
card.
Due Process In The Case Of
Suspension Requires The Following:
1. For Disciplinary Action Up To and
Including 10 Days of Suspension:
A.
Verbal notice of the charge
(telephone notification to parents/guardians).
B.
An explanation of the
evidence.
C.
The opportunity for the
student to present his/her side of the story to an
administrator.
2. For Disciplinary Action of
More Than 10 Days / Expulsion:
A.
Written notice of opportunity
for a hearing.
B.
Written notice of the charges
(telephone notification to parents/guardians with written copy of the charges
mailed to student’s parents/guardians).
C.
The right to be represented
by a lawyer or an advocate
D.
Adequate time to prepare for
a hearing.
E.
Access to documented evidence
and the opportunity to present witnesses and evidence in student’s
behalf.
F.
The right to question
witnesses.
G.
A written decision including
the specific grounds for the decision.
Any student expelled from
school by the Principal shall have the right to appeal the decision to the
Superintendent of Schools.
Student Responsibility For
Work During Suspension
Students are responsible to
complete all assignments, tests, quizzes and homework missed during the
suspension.
Lunchroom
Behavior
Students must have permission
to leave the cafeteria, will clean their table, surrounding floor area and
dispense of trash, and are to remain seated except when buying food or emptying
trash.
The duty teacher has the
right to assign seating based on cafeteria behavior.
Field Trips, Extracurricular
Activities
Appropriate behavior ensures
that a child may participate in field trips and/or extracurricular
activities. Students are expected
to abide by all rules and regulations to participate. The administration has the right to
exclude a student from school field trips because of inappropriate
behavior. The school also has
the authority to discipline students for inappropriate behavior at any school
related function.
WRSD Bus Discipline
Regulations
Riding the school bus is a
privilege afforded to students for educational purposes. Appropriate behavior ensures safe
transportation and is expected of all students. In that traveling to and from school is
an extension of school activity, conduct is under the governance of school
rules. Thus, the disciplinary
consequences detailed below do not preclude the enforcement of disciplinary
procedures included in the Student Handbook.
The following is considered
inappropriate behavior:
1.
Disrespect
2.
Unsafe and/or disruptive
behavior.
3.
Possession of prohibited
material or contraband.
4.
Vandalism.
5.
Throwing things or hanging
out of bus windows.
At
the discretion of the administration, consequences for offenses will be assigned
as follows:
Infraction
Administrative Action
First offense
Written warning
Second offense
1-day bus suspension
Third offense
Up to 3-day bus suspension
Fourth offense
Up to 10-day bus suspension
Fifth offense
Loss of bus privileges for the
remainder of the school year.
Procedures
The bus driver will submit a
written complaint to the school’s Principal. A disposition form will be sent to the
parent/guardian for signature.
Parent/guardian will be called prior to bus suspension. The administration reserves the right to
consider extenuating circumstances in determining disciplinary
consequences. Serious violators
will be treated accordingly. Restitution must be made for
vandalism.
COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH
SURVEY
During the month of May, all
7th grade students are asked to complete a Comprehensive Health
Survey. Such an assessment
provides information required in the District’s application for funding under
the No Child Left Behind Act.
As
students are instructed not to put their names on the survey, their responses
will be anonymous. Responding to
this survey is also completely voluntary and students will not be required to
complete the survey if they do not wish to do so. Parents/ guardians who do not
wish to have their daughters/sons take part in this survey should notify the
Principal prior to April 30.
A copy of the survey is available in the Principal’s office for parents
who wish to review it.
HOMEWORK
It
is the school’s policy for teachers to give homework. However, at the same time, included in
this policy are certain guidelines for the teacher to follow. The school recognizes the fact that the
length of time, which is necessary for a student to complete his/her homework,
is highly individual. A student is
not expected to spend an entire evening on homework. However, results the next day should
show an honest effort was made. The
parent should
inform the teacher if the student is encountering difficulty with
homework.
Neglected assignments will
result in poor marks and parental/ guardian notification. Failure could be an end result. Please be aware of teachers’
expectations for homework at the beginning of the school
year.
INSURANCE
COVERAGE
The W.R.S.D. sponsors a
student-participation insurance plan.
Brochures describing the plans available will be distributed during the
first week of school.
LOCKERS
A
locker is the property of the W.R.S.D. which is issued to each student for use
at the beginning of the school year for storage of books, coats, boots,
etc. Lockers may be searched at any
time for reasonable cause by administration.
LOST AND
FOUND
Missing items can be found at
the Lost and Found located inside the cafeteria. Unclaimed items are donated to charity
periodical- ly throughout the year.
Students are always notified and asked to check the lost and found
before any items are donated.
LUNCH
Lunch may be brought from
home or purchased from the cafeteria.
Lunch, which includes milk, costs $1.75 per day or a student may prepay
weekly ($8.75), monthly ($35.00), or for the entire school year if so
desired. Credit balances, as
well as debit balances on school lunch are carried over from the previous school
year. C.M.S. strongly
encourages pre-paying school lunch.
Students may select a choice
of A or B lunch. Lunch menus are
published in The Landmark. Lunch
counts will be taken during the morning homeroom. Students may also purchase just milk for
$0.30.
Free and Reduced Cost
Lunch
This policy will be
distributed at the beginning of the school year. Parents of students who received free or
reduced cost lunch during the previous school year MUST resubmit an application
for the coming school year.
Applications MUST be received by the second week of
school.
Students receiving free or
reduced cost lunches during the past school year will continue to receive free
or reduced lunches until the deadline for the new application. Free or reduced cost lunches will
terminate unless the new application has been received and
approved.
NOTE: PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL INFORMATION
REQUIRED ON THE APPLICATION IS INCLUDED.
APPLICATIONS NOT FILLED OUT PROPERLY OR ENTIRELY WILL BE RETURNED AND
FREE OR REDUCED COST LUNCHES WILL NOT BE PROVIDED UNTIL THE FORM HAS BEEN
COMPLETED. PLEASE NOTE THAT PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY A STUDENT FOR FREE OR REDUCED COST
LUNCHES.
PARENT / TEACHER
CONFERENCES
Parent or Guardian/Teacher
conferences are not scheduled for all students quarterly as they were in
elementary school. Individual
conferences for students will be held upon request of the parent/ guardian or
teacher. These conferences are
encouraged. Please contact your
child’s homeroom teacher to schedule an individual or team
meeting.
Procedures for
Conflicts
Contact the teacher to
schedule a meeting and discuss your concerns with the teacher. If you do not achieve resolution,
contact a building level administrator.
If the problem is not resolved at the building level, parents have a
right to seek resolution through the Superintendent of Schools or his/her
designee.
SCHOOL
ORGANIZATIONS
P.T.O. (Parent/Teacher
Organization)
The PTO is the parent/teacher
organization representing Chocksett Middle School. Parents/guardians, teachers, or anyone
employed at the school is a member.
The major goal of the PTO is to enrich the student’s educational
experience by providing programs, equipment and services. The PTO undertakes fundraising
activities to accomplish this goal including but not limited to, the school
store and annual magazine drive.
The PTO in conjunction with C.M.S. also publishes a newsletter, The
Eagle’s Eye for the purpose of expanding communication between the school and
home. The newsletter contains
school, community and PTO news.
School Improvement and
Modernization Council (SIMCO)
The School Improvement and
Modernization Council is set up to establish a process of interaction between
the community, teachers, and administration which will enable the Chocksett
Middle School to become an environment cognizant of change and the need for
continuing improvement. SIMCO meets
monthly after school.
The Council consists of: Principal serving as Council co-chair;
equal number of parents/guardians and teachers; one member of the business
community; one member from the community at large; two student
representatives. Each
parent/guardian may serve as long as his/her child is a student at Chocksett
Middle School.
Student Council
Opportunities
Grade 8 Class
Officers
The class officers are
liaisons between the students and the administration. Officers will work closely with advisors
to plan class activities.
Wachusett Regional School
District Eighth Grade Student Council
Consists of two elected
students from each town in the W.R.S.D. and a faculty advisor. The purpose of this council is to
arrange activities for eighth grade students in the
W.R.S.D.
Student
Council
The Student Council attempts
to improve the quality of life at the Chocksett Middle School and to improve
community life within the Town of Sterling. All activities sponsored or supported by
the Council must include one or both of these. The Council represents C.M.S.
students’ concerns. The Council
opens communication between teachers, students, administration, SIMCO and the
PTO. Requirements for Student Council members are: 70 or better average in all subjects,
attendance at two meetings per month; attendance, in entirety, at all Council
activities; homeroom elected.
TRANSPORTATION/CHOCKSETT BUS
INFORMATION
Parents/guardians should see
that their child knows which bus to take and the location of his/her
stop.
CONVENIENCE BUSSING WILL NOT
BE PROVIDED.
Bus students are dismissed
first. Walkers and pick-ups are
dismissed after all busses have departed.
VISITORS /
VOLUNTEERS
Parents and volunteers are
always welcome and appreciated in our schools. Because our schools are growing and
safety is always an issue in today’s world, all visitors/volunteers must
report to the office, sign in, and receive a badge that MUST be displayed on
his/her person while in the building.
This will clearly show all staff that the visitor has reported to the
office. Without a badge, you may be
asked to leave the building. These
precautions are necessary to insure students and staffs’
safety.
The District has available in
all school offices, CORI forms for you to fill out and sign that will authorize
the District to submit to the Criminal History Systems Board a request for a
CORI report. Please know that the
information obtained from the Massachusetts Criminal History Systems Board is
held strictly confidential and is kept in a locked file cabinet in the Director
of Administrative Services’ office.
In addition, the reports will only be reviewed by the Superintendent or
the Director of Administrative Services.
Questions/concerns regarding
this matter may be directed to:
Susan
Sullivan
Director of Administrative
Services
Wachusett Regional School
District
Jefferson
School
1745 Main
Street
Jefferson, MA
01522
(508) 829-1670,
x224
W.R.S.D. STUDENT HANDBOOK
INFORMATION (Rev.
6/3/05)
WRSD Policy Relating to
Support Operations
P7240
Safety and Security
Procedures
The W.R.S.D. and its staff
share with students and parents the responsibility for student safety during
transportation to and from school.
The authority for enforcing District requirements of student conduct on
buses will rest with the Principal.
To
ensure the safety of all students who ride in buses, it may be occasionally be
necessary to revoke the privilege of transportation from a student who abuses
this privilege. Parents of children
whose behavior and misconduct on school buses endangers the health, safety, and
welfare of other riders or damages properties will be notified that their
children face the loss of transportation privileges. Notification of this policy shall be
contained in the Student Handbook.
1. Children will be instructed
as to the proper procedure for boarding and exiting from a school bus and in
proper and safe conduct while aboard.
2. Emergency evacuation drills will be
conducted at least twice a year to acquaint student riders with procedures in
emergency situations.
3. All vehicles used to transport children
will be inspected periodically for conformance with state and federal safety
requirements.
4. Classroom instruction on
school bus safety will be provided.
WRSD Special Education
Discipline Policy
All students are expected to
meet the standards of behavior as set by the Wachusett community. Chapter 71B of the Massachusetts General
Laws and I.D.E.A. 1997 require that additional provision be made for students
who have been found by an evaluation team to have special need and whose program
is described in an Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.). The follow- ing additional requirements
apply to the discipline of special needs students:
1. The I.E.P. for every special
needs student will indicate if they can meet student management policies or if
modifications are needed.
2. The Principal (or designees)
will notify the Special Education Office of any special needs students who have
been suspended. The Director of
Special Education will keep these suspensions on record.
3. When it becomes known that a
special needs student will be suspended for more than ten days in a school
year:
A)
Services will be provided in
order to ensure that the student receives FAPE, and
B)
A functional behavioral
assessment will be conducted and a behavioral intervention plan will be
implemented, and
C)
The team will conduct a
manifestation determination in order to decide whether the infraction is related
to the student’s disability, and if the team finds that the behavior is a
manifestation of the disability, the District may not suspend the
student.
WRSD Policy Relating to Pupil
Services
P6400
Behavior and
Discipline
The W.R.S.D. shall help
students learn behavior patterns, which will enable them to be responsible,
contributing members of society.
Students will be expected to conduct themselves in keeping with their
level of maturity and act with due regard for their fellow students and
supervisory authority. Students
shall have a right to reasonable treatment from the school and its employees,
and in turn, the school and its employees shall have a right to expect
reasonable behavior from students.
The Principal will be
responsible for administering behavior and discipline procedures at the school
in accordance with District policy and school procedures. In order to assure that all students and
staff are made aware of their specific rights and responsibilities, a student
handbook shall be developed by each school, which defines the rights and
responsibilities of students and others whose actions affect student
behavior. References to all School
Committee policies relating to student discipline will be included in the
student handbook.
Corrective actions for
misbehaviors outlined in the handbook shall be commensurate with the severity of
the misbehavior. Consideration
shall be given to the:
1.
Age of the
student;
2.
Mitigating
circumstances;
3.
Previous behavior of the
student; and
4.
Attitude of the
student.
Student
Handbook
The student handbook shall
annually be reviewed with input sought from the school council. The student handbook shall be printed
and distributed to all enrolled students and all staff members at the start of
each school year. The student
handbook shall include, but not be limited to, sections dealing
with:
1.
Student rights and
responsibilities;
2.
Student behavior and
discipline; and
3.
Glossary of
terms
Each building Principal shall
be responsible for providing orientation to the handbook to all enrolled
students and all staff members at the start of the school year. The provisions of the student handbook
shall be applied to students in a standardized, nondiscriminatory and
non-arbitrary manner.
Liability for
Damages
The W.R.S.D. shall seek
compensation for District property willfully damaged by a minor or student age
18 years or older. Civil action may
be brought against the minor or his/her parents, or the individual if 18 years
of age or older. All incidents
shall be investigated, liabilities fixed, and all costs assessed in a
nondiscriminatory and non-arbitrary manner. Schools shall be monitored to ensure
that findings of liability are in accordance with District procedures in
affording due process guarantees.
Corporal
Punishment
Corporal punishment is
prohibited. Staff shall develop
alternative techniques for managing student discipline in accordance with
District policy.
Searches
W.R.S.D. authorities may
exercise their rights to conduct an inspection of student lockers and/or
desks. A student shall not misuse
lockers and desks assigned by school authorities. Lockers and desks remain, at all times,
the property of the District.
A
warrentless search (non-emergency) of a student’s school locker or articles
carried upon the student’s person may be conducted if there is a reasonable
suspicion that the search is necessary to protect the health and/or safety of
students and staff, or to detect a violation of school rules. Such a search may be conducted if school
authorities suspect that a student possesses such items as, but not limited to,
weapons, dangerous instruments, stolen goods, narcotics, hallucinogenics,
amphetamines, barbiturates, marijuana, unregistered drugs, controlled
substances, alcoholic beverages, or evidence of cheating or other academic
misconduct.
Student
suspensions
The W.R.S.D. shall ensure
that each pupil has an atmosphere and an environment, which is conducive to
teaching and learning. To that end,
schools shall maintain programs, which maximize opportunities for learning and
minimize disruptions to the educational process. The District’s first concern shall be to
help maintain pupils in school so that their learning process is not
interrupted.
Students who create
discipline problems, which cannot be resolved through less severe means, shall
be suspended. As a last resort, the
district shall, at the discretion of the school Principal, and following the
required due process, deny a pupil the right to attend school for a period not
to exceed ten (10) days. The
Principal’s decision is final.
Students will have the right
and the responsibility to complete all assignments and make up all tests/quizzes
missed during the suspension. It
will be the student’s responsibility to confer with teachers and to complete
make-up work within a reasonable time but in no instance exceeding three weeks
after the suspension expires.
Expulsion
Expulsion shall be considered
an action of last resort when the behavior of the student warrants such action
at the discretion of the school Principal.
The expulsion shall be governed by Massachusetts General Laws Ch. 71,
sections 37h and 37h1/2, and ch76 section 17.
WRSD Policy Relating to Pupil
Services
P6436
Tolerance
The Wachusett Regional School
Committee shall provide a learning environment that promotes and encourages an
appreciation of diversity.
Individual differences of
students within district policies and regulations are to be appreciated and
respected. All students can expect
to grow and learn without encountering harassment about individual
differences.
Intolerable activities
include but are not limited to harassment about race, gender, handicap,
religion, ethnic group, appearance, dress, learning style, interests, or
behaviors.
Bullying will not be
tolerated. Bullying behaviors
include but are not limited to teasing, verbal harassment, unwanted touches,
physical attacks, and/or ostracism.
Reports of such conduct will
be investigated and action and will be taken under the guidelines of an
individual school’s disciplinary code.
Reference to this policy will
be placed in all student handbooks.
PROMOTING
CIVIL RIGHTS AND PROHIBITING HARASSMENT, BULLYING, DISCRIMINATION AND HATE
CRIMES
The
Wachusett Regional School District is committed to providing our students equal
educational opportunities and a safe learning environment free from harassment,
bullying, discrimination and hate crimes.
The District will not tolerate unlawful or disruptive behaviors at school
or school-related activities including curricula, instructional programs, staff
development, extracurricular activities and parent involvement. The District will promptly investigate
all reports and complaints of harassment, bullying, discrimination and hate
crimes and will take prompt, effective action to end such behaviors including,
when appropriate, referral to law enforcement agencies.