PARK VIEW SCHOOLS
Park ViewMiddle School
To Students, Parents, and Guardians:
Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year! Education is a team effort, and we know that students, parents, teachers, and staff members all working together can make this a successful year for our students.
Our ADVANCED accredited high school is graduating its first class this year and our middle school is continuing its wonderful traditions. Park ViewMiddle School teachers are NCLB Highly Qualified and AZ Department of Education Certified.
Park ViewMiddle School’sCode of Conduct and Student Handbook is designed to provide a resource for some of the basic information that you will need during the school year. Information about daily expectations and requirements help students feel safe and secure in the educational environment.
Both students and parents should become familiar with the Park ViewMiddle School Student Code of Conduct, which is a document, adopted by the board and intended to promote school safety and an atmosphere for learning. The Student Handbook is designed to be in harmony with policies adopted by the Board and the Student Code of Conduct.
The handbook is updated yearly, while policy adoption and revision may occur throughout the year. Changes in policy or other rules that affect provisions in this handbook will be made available to students and parents throughelectronic newsletters and on the school’s website.
After reading through the entire handbook with your student, keep it as a reference during this school year. If there are questions about any of the material in this handbook, please contact the school office.
Please complete and return to your student’s campus the Parental Acknowledgement Form. This form is required for your child’s enrollment and is included in this handbook.
Thank you for choosing Park View Middle School for your child(ren)’s education. We look forward to working with you to provide your child unlimited learning opportunities and motivation to succeed in our collective learning community.
Together we will make this school year our best yet.
Respectfully,
Debra Slagle, M.Ed.
Superintendent/Principal
PARK VIEWMIDDLE SCHOOLCORE VALUES:
Act with Integrity:Park View is committed to being an organization that operates with integrity, comprised of staff committed to acting with integrity and teaching students to act with integrity while in school and beyond.
Apply Ingenuity:Park View believes that individuals are instinctively creative. We are committed to igniting the creativity in each of our students, so they, and we, will approach life with ingenuity, looking for new and more effective ways to meet the challenges we all face. Students learn to apply ingenuity both inside of and outside of the classroom in service, sports, the arts, the sciences, and whatever they take on.
Inspire the Intellectual:A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Park View is committed to making sure that none of our students’ minds are wasted. This is demonstrated through intellectual challenge that results in student growth and ultimate personal academic achievement.
Always Intentional:Park View is committed to being an intentional organization, not one that is random in its programming but focused, deliberate, and reasoned. Park View staff members are intentional in their actions as well, focused on student achievement in the context of care and concern; and passionate about creating students who understand the importance of becoming intentional adults.
Being Insightful:Park View recognizes that knowledge in and of itself is not enough. Our organization is committed to the application of knowledge in ways that will create excellence. Our staff is committed to training students to be insightful, gaining an understanding of themselves, others, and the knowledge they acquire so that they, too, can be good stewards of that knowledge.
MISSION
Our mission is to provide young men and women with a solid educational foundation in a context of care and concern.
Park ViewMiddle School combines a challenging curriculum with clear moral direction. Instruction is marked by the seamless integration of technology and a dedication to the mental, physical and moral development of all students.
Students will receive a quality education, sensitive to their learning styles and designed to equip them with the skills and core knowledge upon which further learning must be based. Park View’s curriculum is founded firmly on the fundamental tradition that values the refinement of thought and fortification of character that charges individuals with the responsibility to the common good and a global perspective of the world and their places in it.
POLICY STATEMENT
Park ViewMiddle School is committed to providing the best possible education for the students. This commitment requires not only top-quality courses, highly-qualified teachers, and well-equipped facilities, but also a safe, positive environment for our students, staff, parents, and community partners.
Park ViewMiddle School expects all students to adhere to strict standards of acceptable behavior so that maximum learning can take place in our schools.
This Code of Student Conduct sets out the rules of student behavior that apply to all students and describes the procedures for imposing appropriate disciplinary measures on students who violate these rules. When consequences must be administered, this Code ensures that it is fair and that it serves the best interests of all the students.
In general, disciplinary action will be designed to correct misconduct and to encourage all students to adhere to their responsibilities as citizens of the school community. Disciplinary actions will be in proportion to the severity of the unacceptable behavior, its impact on the school environment, the student’s age and grade level, the student’s previous discipline history, and other relevant factors.
Where appropriate in light of the severity of the behavioral problem, the disciplinary process will include due consideration of student support services that may be available through the school, other public entities, or community organizations.
Parent notification and parental involvement are essential to any effort to modify a student’s inappropriate behavior. This Code of Student Conduct will only be effective if parents and guardians, teachers, and school administrators work together to improve student behavior and enhance academic performance. Parents, educators, and community members are urged to communicate their concerns about student behavior or the student discipline process to the school’s administrative staff. Parent notification and parental involvement are essential to any effort to modify a student’s inappropriate behavior. Parent notification may be in the form of a note written in the student’s agenda, an email, a phone call, regular mail, etc.,but may not occur every time the student has their behavior redirected.
This Code of Student Conduct is implemented pursuant to Board Policy
PURPOSE OF CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT
This Code of Student Conduct is intended to inform students in Grades 6-12 of the types of behaviors that are unacceptable as well as what is expected. It is impossible, however, to write a Code that addresses every conceivable variation of prohibited behavior. Consequently, students should understand that they may be disciplined for other misconduct that directly affects the orderly mission of the school or that is otherwise obviously inappropriate, whether or not it is specifically listed in this Code.
The School and its employees may impose campus or classroom rules in addition to those found in this Code of Student Conduct. Those rules may be posted in classrooms or handed out to students and may or may not constitute violations of the Code of Student Conduct.
KNOWING AND COMPLYING WITH CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT
The Code of Student Conduct is distributed to all students. It is reviewed with the faculty and staff during the summer to assure their understanding prior to the distribution of the Code to students.
The Code is distributed and discussed with students during the first week of school. A signature of receipt is required from each student and parent/guardian. Meetings are held during the first three weeks of school to discuss discipline and the application of discipline procedures.
1
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
2016-2017
The following policies, rules and regulations set forth in this handbook are for the benefit of the student and all other members of the Park ViewMiddle Schoolcommunity. A student’s sharing of his/her talents in athletic, artistic, academic, dramatic, and other aspects of Park ViewMiddle Schoollife will contribute to their own growth as well as to the welfare of their fellow students.
1
Required Notices and Parent Information
Crisis/Emergency Plan
Our school has an emergency/crisis planto respond to unforeseen events. The plansinclude responses to a variety of scenariosalong with lockdown and evacuation procedures. In addition, each plan is updated annually by theschool emergency response team and followedup with training for staff members. School crisisplans are available for review upon request tothe school administration. The following information is requested forall parents and students to enhance communicationin the event of an emergency or crisissituation: home, work and parent/student cellphone numbers, as well as home and work(when permissible) e-mail addresses.
FERPA/PPRA
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) amended the Protection of Pupil Rights (PPRA) to require that the local educational agencies notify annually every child’s family of their rights as they pertain to PPRA and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
The Family Educational Rights and PrivacyAct of 1974 (FERPA) provides for a parent’sright to inspect, review and seek correctionof a child’s educational records. Copies of this policy are on file in the school office. If you wish to review your child’s record,you may request the school principal to set upa convenient time for such a review. If yourchild is enrolled in a special education program,you should contact SpecialEducation to arrange such a review. The school will comply with your request as soon aspossible.
If, when reviewing the records, you feelthat the information on your child is inaccurate,misleading or otherwise in violation of theprivacy rights of your child, you may requestthe modification of the records orenter into the records your own statements ofclarification or explanation. Upon reaching the age of 18, a studenthas all of the legal rights and responsibilitiespreviously given to a parent or legal guardian. Parents who claim a student 18 years or olderas a dependent may still have access to allrecords.
Student records may be released to authorized school personnel or another school thatthe student wishes to attend.
Rights Under Title IX
Park ViewMiddle Schooldoes not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap in its educational program or activities as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IXof the Education Amendments of 1972, and of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, respectively.
School Board Meetings
Board meeting notices are posted in the school’s office, located at 9030 East Florentine, Prescott ValleyAZ86314
Title One Parent Involvement Policy
Park ViewMiddle Schoolwill put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with Section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Those programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating students.
Program Services
Child Find Procedures
The intent of Child Find under both federal and state requirements is to ensure that all children ages birth – 21 with delays or disabilities are identified, located, and evaluated in order to receive needed early intervention support or special education services. Please notify the office of any concerns.
Chronic Health
This program is for those students with a chronic health condition, as certified by a physician, who are unable to attend regular classes for intermittent periods of time of one or more consecutive days because of illness or accident, but who are not able to qualify for homebound services. Forms to be filled out by the physician must be obtained through the principal’s office.
Homebound
Students with a serious health condition that prevents them from attending school on a regular basis may continue their education through homebound services. A doctor’s statement that a student will not be able to attend school for at least 60 consecutive days is required. A Homebound instructor will see the student in his/her home to provide instruction. Not all courses offered at PVMS can be offered within homebound schooling. For more information, contact the principal for proper paperwork.
Homeless Policy
Park ViewMiddle Schoolenrolls homeless children and youth, without barriers such as transportation, immunization, residency, birth certificates, school records or other documentation and guardianship. This enrollment is contingent on space available within the school at the time of enrollment by the homeless child or youth.Faculty and staff are trained regarding removal of barriers and appropriate treatment of homeless children and youth (HY&C). Homeless students are not stigmatized or segregated on the basis of their status of homelessness. Transportation is provided via public transit at the request of the parent or guardian.
Park ViewMiddle Schoolhas a dispute resolution process that contains all the required components. HC&Y are enrolled in school of choice until dispute is settled.Park ViewMiddle School delivers a decision in writing and parents are notified of their right to appeal to the state level.
Park ViewMiddle Schoolprovides Title One services to homeless students, referrals to local preschool programs for siblings, transportation cards for public transit, and referrals to medical, dental and mental health providers.
The liaison is the site administrator or staff member designated by the site administrator. The liaison ensures that HC&Y are identified, enrolled and receive educational services. The liaison informs parents of educational and related opportunities for their children and trains staff regarding homelessness
Park ViewMiddle School
Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Dispute Resolution Process
If a dispute arises over school selection or enrollment in for a student eligible under the McKinney-Vento Act:
The child or youth shall be immediately admitted to the school in which enrollment is sought, pending resolution of the dispute. This enrollment is contingent upon space available within the school.Park ViewMiddle School will provide its share of the transportation to the school selected for the duration of the dispute resolution process.
The child, youth, parent, or guardian shall be referred to Park ViewMiddle SchoolLocal Educational Liaison, who shall carry out the dispute resolution process as expeditiously as possible after receiving notice of the dispute. In the case of an unaccompanied youth, the Local Educational Liaison shall ensure that the youth is immediately enrolled in school pending the resolution of the dispute.This enrollment is contingent upon space available within the school.
The Local Educational Liaison shall work through the expedited dispute resolution process. For Park View that process involves:
A) Betsy Bowers is the liaison.
B) She will meet and investigate any dispute that is filed in writing.
C) A decision will be made by the team and reported back to the parent within one week after receiving the dispute in writing
Park ViewMiddle School shall provide the parent, guardian, or homeless youth with:
1)a written explanation of the school’s decision regarding school selection or enrollment; and
2)written forms so that, if dissatisfied with the school’s decision, the parent, guardian or youth may appeal the decision to the state level.
(
Special Education
Federal and state law requires school schools, charter schools, and other publiceducation agencies to provide a free, appropriatepublic education to eligible children withdisabilities.
This free, appropriate public educationrefers to special education and related services,described in an Individualized EducationProgram and provided to the child in the leastrestrictive environment.
Children with disabilities, and their parents,are guaranteed certain educational rights,known as procedural safeguards, from birth toage 22. The law and its implementing regulationsalso provide methods to help you assurethat your input is considered.If you want a copy of the proceduralsafeguards, please call the school.
If your child is having difficulty in school,please check with the teacher to determinewhat interventions have been tried to help yourchild succeed.
If the interventions are unsuccessful, areferral for special education evaluation maybe necessary. You may contact the school administratoror school psychologist if you wish topersonally make a referral.
If special education disabilities are suspected,we are required to evaluate your childto identify and document whether your childhas a disability that affects his or her learningand, if so, to determine what special educationand related services are required, if any.
The evaluation will be done only after ateam has explained what they plan to do duringthe evaluation. The team will use tests andprocedures selected specifically for your child. The evaluation will not include basic tests orprocedures used routinely for all studentswithin a class, grade or school.
This evaluation will be conducted accordingto federal and state requirements and willinclude information you provide. Following theevaluation, we will provide you the completeresults within 60 calendar days of your writtenconsent.
If your child is found to be eligible forspecial education services, we request that youserve as part of a team to help us develop anIndividualized Education Plan and identify thespecial education and related services yourchild needs. You may ask others to be presentat the IEP meeting if you wish.
Title One Student Eligibility & Rank Order Procedure
Title I is a federally funded program designed to assist students who are struggling academically. Students are served through Park View's tutoring program outside of school hours.