Welcome to Flagstaff Unified Middle Schools

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WELCOME TO FLAGSTAFF UNIFIED MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Dear Parents and Students:

Welcome to Flagstaff Unified Middle School. This year, we will be implementing and expanding on academic academies at the middle schools and continuing to offer rigorous and enriching opportunities for all students. We look forward to the challenges that we will face in our pursuit of academic excellence. Our staff is working diligently to ensure all students have access and are becoming successful on the new College and Career Readiness Standards.

As a faculty and staff, we are committed to a safe and positive educational environment. In order for this to occur,we ask that all parties involved commit to being on time, giving your best daily and supporting your teachers, peers and school. Together we truly can move mountains and reach for the sky.

This handbook provides a framework and general information about Flagstaff Unified Middle School, which is important to all students and their parents. It is important that you read the enclosed material carefully. You are responsible for knowing and adhering to the policies and procedures outlined on the following pages.

We sincerely thank you for placing your trust in us and vow to do everything in our power to preserve it. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Tari Popham

Principal

Sinagua Middle School

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Regular Schedule A: Regular Schedule B:

Period 17:40 – 8:42Period 17:40 – 8:42

Period 28:46 – 9:43Period 2 8:46 – 9:43

Period 39:47 – 10:44Period 39:47 – 10:44

Lunch 110:44 – 11:14Period 410:48 – 11:45

Period 611:18 – 12:15Lunch 211:45 – 12:15

Period 712:19 – 1:16Period 7 12:19 – 1:16

Period 81:20 – 2:20Period 8 1:20 – 2:20

Modified Block Schedule A:Modified Block Schedule A:

Wednesday/ThursdayWednesday/Thursday

Period 1/37:40 – 9:15Period 1/37:40 – 9:15

Period 2/69:20 – 10:55Period 2/49:20 – 10:55

Lunch 110:55 – 11:30Period 7/811:00 – 12:35

Period 7/811:35 – 1:10Lunch212:35 – 1:10

-Release on Wednesday to busses- 1:00

-Release on Thursday to Pathways – 1:00

Snow Delay Schedule A:Snow Day Schedule B:

Period 19:40 – 10:25Period 19:40 – 10:25

Period 210:29 – 11:06Period 210:29 – 11:06

Period 311:10 – 11:47Period 311:10 – 11:47

Lunch 111:47 – 12:17Period 411:51 – 12:28

Period 6 12:21 – 12:58Lunch 212:28 – 12:58

Period 71:02 – 1:39Period 71:02 – 1:39

Period 81:43 – 2:20Period 81:43 – 2:20

Days missed because of inclement weather may be made up at the discretion of the Governing Board.

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Teachers Begin August 5, 2014

Classes BeginAugust 7, 2014

Labor DaySeptember 1, 2014

Veterans’ DayNovember 11, 2014

ThanksgivingNovember 26 - 28, 2014

Winter RecessDecember 22 – January 2

New Year’s Day January 1, 2015

M.L. King DayJanuary 19, 2015

Presidents’ Day February 17, 2015

Spring BreakMarch 16- 20, 2015

School Holiday April 6, 2015

Memorial DayMay 25, 2015

Last Day of ClassesMay 28, 2015

Teacher Work DayMay 29, 2015

*Please check the district calendar for make-up snow days tentatively scheduled for 4/24, 4/27, 5/8, 5/11, and 5/12.

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SinaguaMiddle School

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Mission Statement

We are committed to the holistic education of all of our students by providing each student a guaranteed and viable curriculum within the framework of curriculum mapping based on the Arizona State Standards. Student’s academic success will be ensured through differentiated instruction and by implementing SIOP strategies andassessed using summative and formative common assessments. Staff will continue to collaborate with each other to provide the best environment possible for students by working in professional learning communities.

Flagstaff UnifiedMiddle School is committed to using data-based strategies to guide instruction and provide interventions for students in a positive, safe, caring environment that promotes peaceful conflict resolution to produce motivated, successful, independent life-long learners.

Goals

The middle schoolpartners students, parents and faculty to provide a curriculumthat:

• Offers opportunities for exploring present interests and abilities and encouraging development of others;
• Emphasizes information application and skill development using varied learning opportunities that involve students as active participant;
• Provides for a comprehensive guidance/advisor program.

Policies

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Attendance Policy

Every child’s academic success is important to the FlagstaffUnifiedSchool District, and regular attendance is necessary to meet that goal. In our search for excellence in education at F.U.S.D., we will be implementing the followingtardy and attendance policy: parents will be notified by letter of their student’s fifth absence, again at ten absences and at 12, the student will be placed on attendance probation.

Flagstaff Unified will follow ARS-15-803 that requires students to be in attendance 90% of the time to receive credit. Students who miss a class 12 times may lose credit in that class. There will be a very strict chronic illness list, documented by our nurse, parents and physicians. There will also be a special circumstance list to provide a safety net for children with unusual circumstances that affect attendance. Flagstaff Unified believes very strongly that 12 absences is excessive and will result in loss of credit. Regular school attendance is required by law and students should remain out of school only when absolutely necessary. The ultimate responsibility for school attendance rests with parents and students. Flagstaff Unified will assist in monitoring your student’s attendance. An appeals process with an administrator and a committee of teachers is available for students who exceed the 12 attendance marks.

Parental Instructions

If you are absent from any class for any reason except a school-sponsored activity, your parent/guardian must clear an absence by 9:00 a.m. the same school day. He/she will need to use one of the following two procedures: 1) Calling the attendance office recording line at 773-8261 the day you are absent, or 2) Sending a note with you including: your name and grade, day and date of absence(s), the reason for absence(s), parent/ guardian signature and daytime phone number. The attendance window will be open at 7:30 a.m. You can turn in a written excuse at that time.

When cumulative absences exceed 12 days in a semester, a statement from a physician is required to excuse illnesses.

Petition for Absence

If your family finds it necessary for you to be absent from school because of a non-school activity, your parents/ guardian must notify the administration two (2) school days prior to the absence. The school will provide a petition-for-absence form for you to get your teachers’ signatures and your class assignments. The form must be returned to the office before you leave school. Your parents will be advised if you are not doing well in school or if such absences will cause a loss of class credit.

Tardy Policy –

Tardies will be handled through the Elect To Learn (ETL) or Responsible Thinking Classroom (RTC) Programs.

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Student Sign-Out Procedures

Once your student is on school grounds and needs to leave campus, they must be signed out through the attendance office before leaving the building. It is considered a truancy if your studentis not signed out, no matter what the reason. Only a parent, guardian or a designated adult over the aged of 18 who is registered in the school’s data system may check out a student from school. Please include all family members whom you may want to check your child out of school. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure all potential emergency contact information is up to date in the computer data system. Only those contacts listed may check out your student. ID is required at the time of check out for your child’s safety.

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Responsible Thinking Classroom

The Responsible Thinking Classroom(RTC) is the school wide discipline program designed to teach students to think about their behaviors. The key component of the RTC process is its focus on how students can achieve their goals without interfering with the rights of others. When students fail to follow the rules, school personnel will ask a series of pre-determined questions. Through the questioning process, students choose to remain with their class and respect the rights of othersor they choose to leave and go to RTC. In the RTC, students think through and implement successful ways of handling problems by developing a specific plan. Once the plan is reviewed by the RTC teacher, the studentmust negotiate an approved plan with the referring teacher before he/she returns to class. However, if a student chooses to violate the rules while in RTC, he/she understands that he/she has chosen to leave school and to be picked up by a parent/guardian.

Elect To Learn

ETL is an intervention program designed to help students become more responsible for their own achievement and make positive choices. Students need to be prepared with completed homework, agenda, books and materials, be in dress-code, and wear their lanyard at all times or they will be assigned ETL after school.

If students are assigned ETL, they are responsible for contacting their parent immediately. ETL is a study-hall where students complete missing assignments, read, and work on AIMS prep material from 2:30-4:00. Activity busses are available after school, servicing all destinations. Students who do not attend ETL 1 will be assigned ETL 2. ETL 2 is a study hall classroom lasting the entire school day up until 4:00.

Daily work is delivered to the class and a highly qualified teacher is available to assist your child.

Replacement lanyards, ID’s and agendas can be purchased in the front office or bookstore.

Suspension

Typical causes for suspension include:

continuous and willful refusal to accomplish school tasks even though the student is able to do so (insubordination);

disorderly, vicious, illegal, or immoral conduct;

persistent violation of school regulations; and

violation of local, state, or federal law.

Length of suspension will be determined by school authorities and reflect the offense committed. Parents/ guardians will be notified of action taken and will have complete custody and jurisdiction of their child during suspension. A suspended student may not loiter or appear on school propertyor at any school-sponsored activity, at or away from the school. A student will be readmitted to school after a satisfactory solution to his/her conduct is agreed upon by the parents and administration. Upon return to school from an out- of-school suspension, a student has one day for each day absent to turn inschoolwork missed due to the suspension.

Ultimately parents must accept responsibility for their child’s conduct. The public schools will assist parents whenever possible by recommending services and agencies that may helpful.

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Flagstaff Unified Middle School Behavior Code

The goals of this Code are as follows: to promote student behavior necessary to achieve high moral and academic standards; to maintain a level of discipline conducive to effective instruction; to change unacceptable student behavior; and to provide consistent and fair discipline for violations of school rules.

This Code of Conduct has been developed to clearly inform students, staff and parents of what are acceptable and unacceptable student behaviors at the middle school. This Code of Conduct states that every student is responsible for his/her behavior while at school. The faculty, staff and parents/ legal guardians will work together to help change unacceptable behavior. If a student fails to accept responsibility, then it becomes the parents’/ legal guardians’ responsibility to insure their child behaves appropriately in school.

Students who demonstrate unacceptable behavior will be assisted by the use of Due Process procedures, and there will be a request for parents’/ guardians’ involvement.

Due Process

Students have rights; they also have the responsibility to respect the rights and property of others. If a student fails to do this, disciplinary action will follow. In disciplinary cases, each student is entitled to due process.

The violation/s will be reviewed and the student informed of the reason/s for disciplinary action. The student will be allowed to discuss the violation(s) and to present information on his/her behalf.

In the event the infraction by the student results in detention or suspension, the school personnel will attempt to notify the parents/ legal guardians by telephone before this action is taken.

Unacceptable Student Behavior

The Flagstaff Public Schools Discipline Policy details infractions with minimum and maximum consequences. This policy serves as a guide to bring consistency and fairness to students based on the situation and circumstances and on the student’s previous behavior______d'IGNING THE FORM AT THE BO. Students who develop a consistent pattern of unacceptable behavior will lose school privileges such as dances, activity days, retreats, after-school activities, or access to late activity bus transportation. Violations of provisions of this Behavior Code may be subject to discipline pursuant to the District’s Discipline Policy.

Classroom Behavior

There are four common rules in every classroom:

1. Teachers have the right to teach in an atmosphere conducive to learning.
2. Students have the right to learn in an atmosphere conducive to learning.
3. No one has the right to disrupt.
4. Respect for all those with whom we interact.

Consequences of Discipline Policy Violation

The following consequences are covered in detail in the Flagstaff Public Schools Student Discipline Policy: informal talk, parent/ legal guardian involvement, short-term suspension, long-term suspension, expulsion.

Specific Guidelines

Students and parents may refer to the Flagstaff Public Schools Student Discipline Policy for information on Bus Rules, Search and Seizure, and Your Rights/ Due Process

School Manners

• A clean campus is to be maintained at all times.
• Students need to be respectful of and cooperate with teachers and others in authority; they also must be kind and courteous to other students.
• Inappropriate displays of affection are prohibited on campus
• Students will comply with school regulations, and pursue the required course of study.
• Students will not run, push, trip, cause a disturbance or loiter in the halls.
• Students may not leave the classroom without written permission (hall pass) from the teacher or a Request To See Student Slip from the school office.
• Profanity or vulgar gestures will not be tolerated.

Students displaying poor manners will be subject to disciplinary action.

Electronic Devices:

Students may possess portable electronic devices can be used before school, during lunch, or after school only. Instructional time includes the entire period of a scheduled class, other times when students are participating in any instructional activity, or at other times when school personnel prohibit their use. If such portable electronic devices are used when prohibited by school personnel, the device may be confiscated.

The school/district is not responsible for the loss or theft of personal belongings.

Food Policy/Vending Machines

Students may only take food outside of the lunchroom if they are going to a lunch detention or to a classroom for tutoring or make-up work and have a hall pass from their teacher.

Use of vending machines is a limited to before or after school.

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2013-2014 Uniform Code of Dress

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Approved Attire

ALL Shirts:

Tee shirts, collared shirts, sweat shirts and hoodies etc, can be:

- All colors (solid only)

- Be plain or have a Flagstaff Unified School logo or College or University Logo.

- All shirts must be no more than 2 inches from the collar bone.

ALL Pants:

Pants/Shorts/Dresses/Skirts/etc. must be:

-All colors (solid only)

-Shorts or Skirts must be below mid thigh

-All clothing must be worn appropriately

Jackets will be placed in student lockers/storage spaces.

Lanyard and Identification cards are expected to be worn at all times.

Headwear: Hats, bandanas, scarves, sunglasses etc. may not be worn inside the school.

Footwear: Shoes must be worn at all times. For safety reasons, slippers, booties, and stocking feet are not allowed.

Accessories: Accessories to be avoided are pins, chains, belts that are too long and anything that is studded with metal (i.e. a spiked bracelet, necklace.)

Safety: The safety dress code as prescribed for shop, home economics, physical education and science classes will be followed.

Cleanliness/Hygiene: Dirty clothing or intentionally ragged or torn clothing is inappropriate.

Extra-Curricular Activities: The dress code for all school activities including dances is the same as the dress code for the regular school day. If a student is not in compliance with the dress code, s/he will be removed from the activity/ dance and parents will be contacted to come and pick up the student.

** Other attire at the discretion of administrators**

Anti-Bullying Zone

Purpose

Students have the right to a safe and supportive school culture of acceptance in which all students are treated with respect. Individuals shall not bully, intimidate or harass any student, employee or any other person on school grounds, school property, school buses, school bus stops or at school-sponsored events and activities. Nor shall any student encourage, solicit, aid or abet another student in the bullying, harassment or intimidation.

Definition of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying

For the purpose of this policy, harassment, intimidation and bullying means any unwanted action which may include a gesture, any written, verbal, physical conduct or any electronic communication whether a single incident or a series of incidents based on real or perceived actions towards any person, person's friends, relatives or associates, or groups for any reason including but not limited to someone's race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, sex, gender expression or identity or sexual orientation.

Zero Tolerance Policy

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The philosophy of Flagstaff Unified School District Middle Schools is to provide an educational program that is consistent and uncompromising in its standards of pupil performance and behavioral expectations. What is expected and what is not acceptable is clearly defined and communicated to parents, students and staff. A zero-tolerance policy has been established to create positive behavior and high academic standards. The administration and faculty insist on a safe and secure learning environment for everyone at all of our middle schools.

We have developed a zero-tolerance standard in the following areas:

Possession of weapons

Gang activity or affiliation

Threatening, provoking, bullying or intimidating anyone on or off campus