Policies

         ENTERING THE BUILDING

 Students are not permitted to enter the building prior to 7:45 a.m.  under normal circumstances.  If special situations arise that would require a student to be in school before 7:45 a.m., that student will go directly to the office until the 7:45 bell.

               Before 7:45 a.m.               -              Use doors at high school office canopy
               7:45 a.m. –  8:00 a.m.      -              Use doors at high school office canopy or district office canopy
               8:00 a.m. – 2:44 p.m.       -              Use doors at high school office canopy
               Dismissal                          -              Use doors at high school office canopy or district office

 HOMEROOMS

  1. All seats in the homeroom will be assigned by the teacher.
  2. Discipline during homeroom period shall be handled the same as the classroom period behavior.
  3. When students report to school they will either go directly to the cafeteria for breakfast or to their lockers and a.m. homeroom.  Students not eating breakfast should be in a.m. homeroom.
  4. All students must attend or report to p.m. homeroom ,  no long term passes.

ATTENDANCE CLARIFICATION

  1. If students arrive at school after 8:00 a.m. but before 8:30 a.m. they are considered a.m. tardy but present all day.
  2. If students arrive at school after 8:30 a.m. but before 11:30 a.m., they are considered absent for ½ day a.m.
  3. If students leave school between 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., they are considered absent for ½ day p.m.
  4. If students leave school between 2:15 p.m. and 2:44 p.m., their absence will be considered a p.m. tardy.
  5. Absences for students leaving and returning within one school day shall be determined by hours attended.
  6. If a student is tardy 3 times, a written warning will be given.  The 4thtardy will result in a detention.  A detention will result for every 2 tardies after 4.

ATTENDANCE/ENROLLMENT

  1. All children from the time they enter first grade until the age of 17 are required to attend school under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Compulsory School Law.
  2. When a student is absent from school, a signed note from the students parent/guardian must be presented to the attendance personnel in the high school office within three days upon returning to school, otherwise the absence will be considered unexcused.  In extenuating circumstances additional time to present an excuse may be granted, but no excuse will be accepted thirty (30) calendar days past the date of absence.  Students age 18 and over must produce a notarized letter stating that they are self-supportive in order to write their own excuses.
  3. The following reasons constitute excused absences:
  4. Illness or injury supported by a doctor’s excuse.
  5. Illness or injury supported by a parent/guardian excuse.
  6. Death in family, 4 days for parent, brother, sister; 3 days grandparents/near relative in household; 1 day near relative.
  7. One family emergency day upon approval by principal.
  8. Doctor/dental appointment if reasonable time used for appointment.  Students are permitted ½ day for appointments unless special circumstances.
  9. Family educational trip with prior administrative approval.
  10. Observance of religious holidays that fall on a school day.
  11. Impassable roads/when deemed by the school Inclement Weather Administration.

Some examples of unexcused absences may be, but not limited to:

  • Car trouble
  • Babysitting
  • Hunting/fishing
  • Parental neglect (visiting, oversleeping, missed bus)
  • Running errands
  • Shopping
  • The attendance records of the high school office shall be used as verification of the days absent.  The purpose of this attendance policy is to ensure that students are in class on a regular basis in order to receive the best education possible.  Official records are kept in the superintendent’s office.
  • Students are permitted up to ten (10) days of excused absences supported by parent/guardian written excuses.
  • Students are permitted up to six (6) individual doctor excuses per school year.  The total does not include dentist, orthodontist or eye doctor appointments.  This does not apply to an ongoing, diagnosed medical condition.
  • When a student reaches seven (7) days of parent/guardian excused absences the parent/guardian will be notified by mail.
  • When a student reaches ten (10) days of excused absences supported  by parent/guardian written excuses, the parent/guardian will be notified by mail that all subsequent absences will require written verification by a physician/dentist or the absence will be considered unexcused.
  • When any student accumulates three (3) days of unexcused/unlawful absence the parent/guardian will be notified by mail.
  • The District will implement the following progressive discipline for students age 17 and over:
  • 4thunexcused absence will result in a one (1) day in-school suspension; assistant principal’s meeting with parent and student.
  • 6thunexcused absence will result in three (3) days in-school suspension.
  • 8thunexcused absence will result in a ten (10) day out of school suspension and a School Board hearing or Superintendent’s permission to drop student.
  • Any student under 17 years of age who accumulates more than three (3) days of unlawful absence makes his/her parent/guardian of self, liable to fine, imprisonment or loss of drivers license under provisions of the PA Compulsory Attendance Laws.
  • When seniors have a written invitation or appointment to go for a job interview, college admission interview, nurses training interview, trade or technical school interview, or other interview for post high school plans, they may be excused for a maximum of three (3) days during the school year.  Such requests must be signed and approved by the Guidance Counselor prior to the appointment or the day will be an unexcused absence.   The student will present a verification statement signed by a college official or prospective employer when returning to school.  The first two days of approved college visits for seniors will be termed a field trip and not counted as a day of absence.  The 3rdand final visit will be an excused absence applied to the 10 permitted days of excused absence.  If a student goes two consecutive days to the same college, only one day will be excused as a college visit and the other day will be parental excused and applied to the 10 permitted days of excused absence.  Under certain circumstances juniors may be given one day for similar situations as mentioned above, termed as a field trip and not counted as a day of absence.
  • SERV (Student Emergency Response Volunteers) members/junior firemen will be excused for emergency calls as part of the 10 days of parental excused absences if:
  • Student has not exceeded the 10 days of absence
  • Student has not accumulated in excess of 15 discipline points
  • Student is not failing two or more subjects for the nine weeks

EARLY DISMISSALS

  1. Students should have requests for early dismissal filled out by the parent (s) or guardian and turned in prior to, or by a.m. of dismissal day.  The request is to include with whom and how the student is to leave the school premises and the time of the appointment.  If possible, the student must produce an appointment card whenever a request for early dismissal is made.  If this is not possible, then the card must be presented the next day.
  2. The following reasons constitute excused early dismissals:  1.  Doctor and dentist appointments.  2.    Exceptionally urgent reasons which directly affect the student (must be specified).  EARLY DISMISSAL FOR ANY OTHER REASON WILL BE CONSIDERED AS UNEXCUSED AND TIME WILL BE ACCUMULATED.
  3. All persons must report to the office to pick up an early dismissal student and sign the student out.  All students must remain in their scheduled classes until called to the office for the early dismissal.  Students must be picked up by a parent personally, an authorized guardian/relative or have a note signed by parent/guardian stating who is picking up student.
  4. No student is to call home and have someone come for them (claiming illness) unless the nurse authorizes the call.  ANY STUDENT NOT RECEIVING EARLY DISMISSAL FROM THE NURSE WILL BE COUNTED AS UNEXCUSED.

PERMISSION TO LEAVE CLASS

A student may receive permission to leave a classroom by obtaining a pass from his/her teacher.  It is up to each teacher to decide whether or not to let a student leave his or her class.

  1. Locker passes will be issued only in special situations.  Students should go to each class with all necessary materials and should not leave that class to get or put away classroom materials.
  2. Restroom passes will be issued at the discretion of the teacher for a period of five (5) minutes.  All other passes will be issued for a reasonable length of time at the teacher’s discretion.  Phone passes issued in emergency situations only.
  3. Students are not permitted to leave the building or go to the elementary without written permission from the office.
  4. Students should not attempt to obtain a pass to leave a regularly scheduled class to attend or work in another classroom.
  5. All students are required to sign out before leaving a classroom unless called to the office.

NURSES OFFICE

  1. Students may request a pass to visit the nurse’s office.  If the nurse sends a student home before 8:30 a.m., they will be considered absent for one full day.
  2. Upon obtaining a pass from your classroom teacher, you must stop in the high school office to have your pass initialed and sign the green sign out sheet.
  3. After visiting the nurse’s office you must again stop in the high school office to record your return time and have your pass initialed.
  4. Students will not be permitted to go to the nurse’s office for:
  • small scratches that can be washed in the restroom with soap and water
  • muscular aches
  • blisters caused by shoes – teacher will give you a band-aid
  • dirty/ripped clothing – student will need to call parent/guardian
  • gum in hair/clothes – remove this at home
  • minor coughs – students need to bring their own cough drops
  • chapstick/lip ointment – bring from home

      5.    The district reserves the right to refuse nurse’s office passes to students that abuse this privilege.

LOCKERS

  1. Lockers are to be used to store books, coats, and supplies.  Lockers are to be kept clean and neat at all times.  There will be periodical locker inspections.  Students are not permitted to put stickers/adhesives on the inside/outside of their lockers.
  2. Money and valuables should not be stored in lockers.  The school is not responsible for articles lost or stolen.
  3. Students remaining after school for extra-curricular activities must use their lockers prior to the activity.  No student is to be at a hall locker following any activity.
  4. Students may obtain a pass from a teacher granting special permission to go to his/her locker during class for valid reasons.
  5. Students are not permitted to give their locker combinations to another student.  Students are not permitted to keep items in a locker assigned to another student, to share lockers with other students, or to set their locker to enable it to open without using the combination.  These items covered under locker policy violation.
  6. Gym clothes will be stored in gym lockers.
  7. Going to your locker between classes is not a valid reason for arriving late to class.
  8. LOCKERS ARE SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY AND ARE SUBJECT TO INSPECTION BY DISTRICT OFFICIALS AT ANYTIME.