Greeley Central High

GREELEY CENTRAL HIGH

1515 14th Avenue, Greeley, Colorado 80631

Phone: 970.348.5000/ Fax: 970.348.5030

Website:

STUDENT HANDBOOK

2010-2011 School Year

Main Office:

Mark Cousins, Principal 348.5009

Jesse Tijerina, Assistant Principal 348.5010

Mark Koopman, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director 348.5011

Nicole Petersen, Assistant Principal 348.5012

Michelle Vasquez, Office Manager/Athletic Secretary 348.5003

Claudia Gutierrez Front Office Secretary 348.5000

Counseling Office:

Heather Endres, Counseling Secretary 348.5018

Jaime Cranson Counselor 348.5024

Dave Mamich, Counselor 348.5021

Steve Vail,Counselor 348.5022

Kendra Villareal, Counselor 348.5020

Christy O’Connell-Black, Arts Magnet Coordinator 348.5093

Attendance Office:

Valerie Valdez, Attendance Secretary 348.5014

WELCOME WILDCATS!

Our administrative team and staff welcome you to this place we call “The Castle” and to the 2010-2011 school year. This handbook has been designed to acquaint you with important information about Greeley Central. We remind you that the success one expects to achieve from his or her high school experience is directly related to the amount of effort that is put forth by each individual. Meet the challenge and take advantage of all the opportunities extended to you as a Wildcat.

This agenda belongs to:

Name: ______

Greeley Central Mission

Our mission is to educate all students in a nurturing, challenging, disciplined, and safe environment so their actions reflect the qualities of…

PRIDE, CLASS, AND DIGNITY

Our motto, PRIDE – the way we feel about ourselves, CLASS – the Central way of doing things, and DIGNITY – the way we treat each other, are attributes by which we hope to govern our actions while at school and throughout our lives.

At Greeley Central High School, we believe that the following high standards will help to develop the best environment for our students:

 The teaching and learning environment must be safe and productive.

 Positive relationships must develop between students, staff, and the home.

 Students, staff, and parents/guardians must act in a responsible manner.

 All members of the school community must strive for quality in their behavior and

performance.

Greeley Central History

Formerly known as Greeley High, Greeley Central High School had its start in the late 1800s. In 1927, the school’s current building was constructed and the legacy of “The Castle” was born. Many generations of scholars have passed through these halls, and this year’s seniors will be our 131st graduating class.

Principals who have governed this school through the past years are:

GCHS Student Commitment Statements

As students, in order to advance our shared vision of an exemplary school at Greeley Central High School, we will:

 Perform to the best of our ability in all academic and co-curricular activities.

 Maintain mutual respect and tolerance for one another.

 Embrace diversity among different individuals and groups.

 Show leadership and accept responsibility for our academic performance, decisions, and actions.

 Show a sense of pride in our school and in our community.

 Encourage and support one another in everything we do.

Bell Schedule

The Rotating Block Schedule at Greeley Central High School consists of 8 block periods in a 2-day cycle that includes a Black Day (Block periods 1,2,3,4) and an Orange Day (Block periods 5,6,7,8). Blocks are 90 minutes in length.

The bell schedule alternates Black/Orange every other day. Please see the black and orange calendar for dates.

Although Access appears to be an independent class, it is actually imbedded in Blocks 1 and 5. Students will use this time to complete work or engage in independent reading. This means there will be no movement from Block 1 or 5 to another location without pre-arranged teacher-to-teacher contact. We have also imbedded five minutes for daily announcements.

On early release Mondays throughout the year. the GCHS faculty will be involved in professional development activities. There will be a modified schedule on those days. The dates are listed below and the schedule will be as follows:

EARLY RELEASE MONDAY MODIFIED SCHEDULE

7:40 – 8:52BLOCK 1 or 5

8:58 – 10:10BLOCK 2 or 6

10:28 – 11:28 BLOCK 3 or 7

11:28 – 12:18 LUNCH

12:18 – 1:30 BLOCK 4 or 8

EARLY RELEASE MONDAY DATES

Semester 1 Semester 2

August 23, 2010January 10, 2011

September 13, 2010February 7, 2011

October 4, 2010March 7, 2011

November 01, 2010April 18, 2011

December 06, 2010May 9, 2011

Grad Requirements and Grade Reporting

Graduation Requirements

Undoubtedly, high school graduation and post-secondary preparation is the goal for every student at Greeley Central. As a result, students are creating individual plans of study. A plan of study is defined as courses to be taken during the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th years of a student’s educational experience which prepare students for their career aspirations.

Minimum requirements for graduation from Greeley Central High School are twenty-two (22) units of credit in grades 9-12, including the completion of certain specific subject area requirements. One “unit of credit” is equal to a year of instruction within a course. The credits required for graduation are as follows:

Language Arts… 4.0 credits based on plan of studyMath……..3.0 credits based on plan of study

Science…………....3.0 credits based on plan of studyElective…7.5 credits based on plan of study

Social Studies….3.0 credits Physical Ed…1.5 credits

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• .5 credit of Civics or American Government
• 1 credit of US History
• 1.5 credits based on plan of study
• 1 credit in Physical Education
• .5 credits in Health

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* Volunteer/Community Service Option: A maximum of .5 elective credit may be earned through volunteer community service or experience-based learning (internships, student mentoring, job shadowing, volunteer work) at the rate of 75 hours per .5 credit. Credits earned under this option must be relevant to the student’s plan of study and pre-approved through the school counselor. This credit does not carry a grade nor apply to GPA. It will be listed on the transcript as a course and the grade designation will be “P” for passed.

Course Retake Policy – Students who need to retake a course due to failure may do so on a space available basis to be determined by the building principal. Other options include, but are not limited to, summer school, community college, university, and correspondence opportunities. See your counselor for more information.

Grade Classification

Students will be promoted from one grade level to another based upon the number of credits attained. Below is a breakdown of the minimum number of credits a student must acquire in order to be promoted to the next grade level.

Sophomore...... 6 credits

Junior...... 12 credits

Senior...... 18 credits

Award Diploma...... 22 credits

Early Graduation

Early graduation is allowed provided all requirements for graduation have been met. Early graduation before the end of the seventh semester must be reviewed and approved by the principal and by the Superintendent or designee. Students who complete their work at midyear and are eligible to graduate shall receive their diploma at the end of the school year and may return to take part in the graduation exercises at that time.

Extended Time Opportunities

Students who fail to meet graduation requirements at the end of eight semesters of attendance will be encouraged to continue in school until they meet graduation requirements or through the semester that they turn 21 years old, as permitted by state law.

Students who meet the requirements of the Accelerating Students through Concurrent Enrollment (ASCENT) legislation may continue to attend WCSD6 high schools for a fifth year. Students choosing this option must be college ready, have an approved plan of study, take course work applicable toward a degree or certificate and have completed 12 college credits by the end of their 12th grade year. Students choosing the ASCENT option will not receive their diploma until the completion of their fifth year. Students may, however, choose to participate in commencement ceremony with their class.

Transfer Students

Transfer students will be held responsible for District requirements the same as WCSD6 students. Course work completed outside the District will be evaluated and approved for credit and for fulfillment of graduation requirements by the principal or designee. In addition, WCSD6 requires enrollment during the semester immediately prior to graduation and successful completion of at least three credits in WCSD6 unless an exemption is made by the principal.

Progress Reports

Progress reports are issued at six-week intervals each semester. Progress reports include “A, B, C, D, and F” letter grades. Progress grades simply indicate progress toward mastery of specified academic course requirements. It is important to note that each teacher determines progress grades. Occasionally, a progress grade is accompanied by one or two coded comments, which further explain the grade. Progress reports will be sent home with students via their 2nd and 6th block classes. Progress grades are not permanent as they do not become part of the student’s permanent transcript.

Semester Reports

Student’s grades (A, B, C, D, or F) are directly related to student mastery of academic course requirements and other criteria as determined by the teacher. They are permanent and do become part of the transcript. Coded comments can also accompany the semester grade. Semester grades are computed and based upon all work and mastery of academic course requirements as of the last day of the semester. Any retesting for work in the last two weeks of each semester will be completed on or before the last day of the semester as determined by the teacher.

Academic Lettering

To “Letter” academically at Greeley Central, a student must:

• Maintain a grade point average of 3.75 or better for two consecutive semesters in the same academic year
• Courses taken at Greeley Central, UNC, and Aims will be used for GPA calculations

(Correspondence courses will not be used when calculating GPA)

• Transfer grades from other schools will be acknowledged
• All classes count for GPA calculations, including Leaderships. However, students may elect to be a senior mentor and receive community service instead of credit. In this case, senior mentors do not count towards course load.

District Six Attendance Policy

24 hour Attendance Phone Line = 348-5014

Although the school is committed to communicating with the home when attendance problems arise, school attendance is primarily the responsibility of the parents or guardians. Significant learning for all students is provided each time class is held. This educational opportunity is provided as a result of in-class participation and high-quality instruction. As a result, the benefits of this experience cannot fully be replaced and absences are detrimental to student learning.

Excused Absences

An excused absence is defined as any absence from school due to temporary illness or injury and

any other reason deemed acceptable by the school administrator. Parents are requested to call

the school prior to 12:00 p.m., on the day of the absence, or contact the school no later than 24

hours after the absence has occurred. Absences will only be “excused” by the school

according to the guidelines for excused absences. Excused absences include but are not limited

to absences caused by:

 Temporary illness or injury

 Prearranged absence approved by an administrator (Approval for a pre-arranged absences may necessitate a parent conference)

 Extended absences due to physical, mental or emotional disability (medical documentation may be required)

 A work-study program under the supervision of the school

 A school-sponsored activity

 Extremely inclement weather

 Emergency, serious illness or death in the family

 Participation in religious observances

 Any absence which occurs when the student is required to be in court or in the custody of the court or law enforcement authorities

 Suspension (suspension is an official action which removes a student from class and/or school temporarily following due process). Suspensions will not be considered excused for court purposes.

** A student will be limited to four excused absences in a month or ten excused absences in

year. At this point, the school shall either require a meeting or other form of communication

between the student’s parent/guardian and appropriate school personnel to review and evaluate

the reasons for the student being habitually absent from school. A plan may be developed for the

student with the goal of assisting the student to remain in school. The district may require

suitable proof regarding the above exceptions, including written statements from medical

sources.

Unexcused Absences

An unexcused absence is defined as an absence that is not covered by one of the foregoing exceptions. Additionally, an unexcused absence shall be recorded if a student leaves a class without permission of the teacher or school administrator. Each unexcused absence shall be entered on the student’s record and will be published on progress reports and final report cards. Attempts shall be made by the school staff to notify the parents or guardians of the student receiving the unexcused absence. Such attempts are through a computer-generated phone call making it imperative to have an accurate phone number on file with the school.

If, after parent contact, attendance does not improve, the school will make use of a variety of

available resources to respond to continued student absence. This includes parent conference,

counseling, detentions, and other options deemed appropriate by the school. When the district is

aware that criteria exist to designate a student as habitually truant, the district shall refer the

students and his or her parent/guardian to the Weld County Judicial System, the Weld County

Juvenile Assessment Center and/or the Weld County District Attorney’s Juvenile Diversion Unit.

The maximum number of unexcused absences a student may incur before judicial proceedings

are initiated to enforce compulsory attendance is 10 during any calendar year or school year.

Make-up work

Make-up work shall be provided for any class in which a student has an excused absence unless otherwise determined by the building administrator. It is the responsibility of the student to pick up any make-up assignments permitted on the day returning to class. There shall be two days allowed for make-up work for each day of absence. Make-up work shall be allowed following an unexcused absence with the goal of providing the student an opportunity to keep up with the class and an incentive to attend school. However, this work will receive only partial credit, which is the consequence for an unexcused absence.

Tardiness

Tardiness is defined as the appearance of a student without proper excuse after the scheduled time that a class begins. Students coming into class tardy constitute a major disruption of the educational process not only for themselves but for other students in the class. In an attempt to limit tardies, tardy tables will be set up at the beginning of each block and any student arriving late to class will be sent to these tables and assigned a detention. Detentions will be served from 3:05 to 3:45PM after school each day.

Activities and Athletics

Co-Curricular activities are a vital part of a Wildcat’s education. It is our belief that students who participate in co-curricular activities receive a well-rounded education. These activities expand on what is learned in the classroom. Respect, teamwork, sportsmanship and developing a positive attitude towards school are some advantages of participating in co-curricular activities. Please encourage your son or daughter to get involved at Greeley Central High School.

The purpose of extra-curricular activities is both educational and recreational. The programs at Greeley Central encourage participation by as many students as possible and are carried on with interest of the participant as the first consideration.

Activities Offered at GCHS (see sponsors for more information)

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Thespian Troupe 657, Kolokoff

Band, Farr

Choir

Orchestra, Azari

El Teatro, Cooney, DeGroote,

Dietrick, Reid

Forensics, French-Hahn

LULAC, Dietrick, DeGroote, Cooney

Key Club, P. Martinez and Vyborny

DECA, Orr

Colorado Youth Outdoors (CYO), Burch

FCCLA, Bower

FBLA, Musil and Niccoli

Art Club, Wydeven

Diversity Union, Villarreal

Yearbook (Spud), Thomas

Senior Mentors, Cranson

Tech Students of America, Cyphers

Student Council, Luca and Pranke

Cat’s Cradle, Thomas

Link Crew, Cranson and Petersen

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Fall Sports Winter Sports Spring Sports

Boys Soccer, Softball, BoysBoys Basketball, Girls Baseball, Girls Soccer,

Golf, Cross Country, Football, Basketball, Wrestling, Girls Golf, Girls Tennis

Volleyball, Boys Tennis,Cheerleading, Girls Boys/Girls Track, Boys Cheerleading* Swimming Swimming

*Cheerleading tryouts are every spring sport season for the following year

Please Note: You must have a “Permit to Participate” slip before you try out or practice in any sport. See the Head Coach or Ms. Vasquez in the Activities Office for appropriate forms. These forms are to be submitted at the fall, winter and/or spring sports registration.

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is a very important aspect of athletics. We encourage all athletes, as well as all spectators, to show good sportsmanship at all athletic events. Parents can show the appreciation for our athletes by cheering for the Wildcat teams and not against the opponent. Praise and encouragement for all athletes is very important. Showing good sportsmanship involves allowing the officials to officiate, coaches to coach, and players to play.

Greeley Central Fight Song

Come on you Wildcats

Let’s win this game,

And lead our school to fame.

For our colors the Orange and Black,

We’re going to win that trophy back.

RAH! RAH! RAH!

Cheers for our old Central High.

Cheers for our fighting crew.

For our colors still flying high,

To you we always will be true.

W*I*L*D*C*A*T*S

Student Services and Resources

Counseling

There are four full-time counselors at Greeley Central High School. Mrs. Cranson works exclusively with 9th grade students. The other counselors work with the remaining students. All 10th grade students are automatically assigned, however they do have the discretion to request a specific counselor to work with throughout the remainder of their high school careers at Greeley Central High School.