The mission of Weakley County Schools is to provide an
educational environment that will encourage students to achieve
their full potential as they prepare for unique roles as
contributing
members of our complex and changing society.
Website:
www.weakleycountyschools.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
2005-2006
CALENDAR...............................................................................................
1
INTRODUCTION AND
PHILOSOPHY..............................................................................................................
2
GOALS
........................................................................................................................
3
SCHOOL
ADMISSIONS..............................................................................................
3
TRANSFERS AND WITHDRAWALS .........................................................................................
4
ATTENDANCE POLICY..............................................................................................
5
ABSENCES AND EXCUSES......................................................................................................
6
GRADING AND REPORTING SYSTEM.....................................................................
7
PROMOTION, RETENTION AND GRADUATION
..................................................... 8
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................
10
STUDENT HEALTH AND SAFETY
.......................................................................... 12
ELECTRONIC MEDIA – ACCESS AND ACCEPTABLE
USE................................. 13
DISCIPLINE POLICY ................................................................................................
14
CODE OF DISCIPLINE ...........................................................................................................
16
BUS TRANSPORTATION.........................................................................................
24
STUDENT LOCKERS
...............................................................................................
24
STUDENT FEES AND OTHER CHARGES..............................................................
25
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM
...............................................................................
25
BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL
PROGRAM................................................................... 26
SCHOOL
VISITORS..................................................................................................
27
EXTENDED EDUCATIONAL
SERVICES................................................................. 27
SPECIAL EDUCATION...........................................................................................................
27
TYPES, LOCATION, AND ACCESS TO RECORDS
............................................... 28
PARENTS RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT TEACHERS
................................................ 28
GRIEVANCE
PROCEDURES...................................................................................
29
HARASSMENT/DISCRIMINATION GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES................................................ 29
DIRECTORY..............................................................................................................
30
1
2005-2006 CALENDAR
August 1 (Mon.) In-Service/Workday
August 2 (Tues.) In-Service/Workday
August 3 (Wed.) In-Service/Workday
August 4 (Thurs.) Registration of Students (No buses)
August 5 (Fri.) In-Service/Workday
August 8 (Mon.) School Begins (1st Full Day for Students)
September 5 (Mon.) Labor Day (No School)
October 13 (Thurs.) Parent Teacher Conference (No School for
Students)
October 14 (Fri.) Staff Development (No School for Students)
October 17 (Mon.) Fall Break (No School)
October 18 (Tues.) Fall Break (No School)
November 23-25 (Wed.-Fri.) Thanksgiving (No School)
December 20 (Tues.) Christmas Break – Early Dismissal - No Lunch
Served
January 4 (Wed.) Students Return to School – Begin Second Semester
January 16 (Mon.) Martin Luther King Day (No School)
January (to be announced) Parent Teacher Conference (Three Hours
after School)
February 17 (Fri.) Staff Development (No School for Students)
February 20 (Mon.) All Presidents’ Day (No School)
March 17 (Fri.) No School
March 27 – 31 (Mon.-Fri.) Spring Break (No School)
April 13 (Thurs.) No School
April 14 (Fri.) No School
April 17-28 Achievement Testing
May 3-5 (Wed.-Fri.) Gateway Testing
May 23 (Tues.) Last Day of School – Early Dismissal – No Lunch
May 24 (Wed.) Workday for Teachers (No School for Students)
May 25 (Thurs.) ˝ Day Workday (Report Cards – Buses Will Not Run)
The first four snow days will not be made up. Any subsequent snow
days will be made up
as follows: (1) Jan.3; (2) Jan. 16; (3) Feb. 20; (4) April 13; (5)
May 24; (6) March 17; (7)
March 27; (8) March 28; (9) March 29; (10) March 30; (11) March
31; (12) Add to end of
year.
2
INTRODUCTION AND
Welcome to Weakley County Schools. The mission of Weakley County
Schools is to
provide an educational environment that will encourage students to
achieve their full
potential as they prepare for unique roles as contributing members
of our complex and
changing society.
In order for our system to remain superior, students, parents,
teachers, staff members,
and administrators must work together in a cooperative effort to
ensure that you receive
every educational opportunity available.
This handbook has been prepared to acquaint you and your parents
with the policies,
procedures, and activities of our schools. We hope the information
contained within the
handbook will enable you and your parents to become better
informed of our school
system's policies and procedures. We believe a well-informed
community leads to a
positive and safe school environment.
Each school has a definite schedule, and students are expected to
be in school during
the designated hours. Parents should not request permission for
students to leave school
for activities such as personal appointments, tanning sessions,
errands, or other activities
that should be scheduled after school hours. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
Information in this handbook reflects the current policies of
Weakley County Schools.
Policies are subject to change at any time by action of the
Weakley County Board of
Education.
Weakley County Schools will not discriminate against any student
based on race,
creed, color, handicap, national origin, sex, age, political
affiliation, or beliefs.
PHILOSOPHY
We believe...
♦ All children can learn.
♦ Parental and community involvement
is essential for success.
♦ Readiness needs should be addressed.
♦ Strong leadership is the key to
effective schools.
♦ A clear focus should be placed on
academics.
♦ Good character traits and ethical
conduct should be emphasized throughout the
educational process.
♦ Sensitivity to the needs of all
children should be maintained.
♦ Each student deserves the best
possible teachers.
♦ Administrators, teachers, and staff
members will convey high student expectations
and positively reinforce students when they meet those
expectations.
♦ Students deserve a positive learning
environment.
♦ Information access and application
skills are key components to learning.
♦ Mutual respect and integrity among
all members of the educational community should
be instilled.
3
GOALS
The Weakley County School System has established the following goals
as a means of
accomplishing its stated Philosophy.
I. Learning
A. All schools will prepare students to be lifelong learners.
B. Students will be ready to learn.
C. Learning will be coordinated, sequenced, and integrated.
D. State and national goals will be met and exceeded.
II. Personnel
A. Professional development will be thorough and ongoing.
B. Schools should have a sharing relationship with other schools.
C. Highly qualified personnel will continue to be employed.
III. Community
A. Parent and school interaction will be promoted.
B. The community will be involved and demonstrate a sense of
ownership.
C. Business interaction and involvement will be encouraged.
IV. Safety
A. Schools will be safe and drug-free.
B. Schools will foster an environment of mutual respect.
C. Schools will continue to be upgraded and well maintained.
V. Technology – All schools will be 21st Century compatible.
VI. Funding
A. Adequate and equitable funding for support of our goals will be
secured.
B. Building needs will be addressed.
SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
Children must be five (5) years of age by September 30 of the
current year in order to
enroll in kindergarten, and be six (6) years of age by the same
date to enroll in grade one.
Admission of foreign exchange students is governed by Weakley
County Board of
Education Policy (6.502).
Students entering school for the first time must have the
following:
1. Birth certificate.
2. Social Security Number.
3. Proof of proper immunization:
a) DPT (4 doses),
b) Polio (4 doses),
c) MMR (2 doses),
d) HBV (3 doses),
e) HIB (4 doses) if not administered with HBV
f) Varicella – Chicken Pox – 1 dose
after the first (1st)
birthday or a
diagnosed history of disease
4. Physical examination after January 1 of this year.
5. Proof of residence with a parent or a legal guardian.
6. Completion of registration forms including the "Student
Accident
Information" form.
4
Transfers and Withdrawals
1. Students seeking to transfer from one school within
school within
to transfer to their school principal before April 15. Any request
for transfer must be
discussed between the principals involved and may necessitate
discussions with the
Director of Schools.
2. Any transfer request for
the upcoming school year made after April 15, but before
the opening day of school, must
be approved by the Director of Schools.
3. Requests for transfer during
the school year (i.e. after the opening day of
school) will
be considered if both principals consent to the transfer. The
Director of Schools may
approve the transfer, or if the situation requires, present the
request to the Weakley
grading period whenever possible.
4. When a student must change schools because of moving from one community to
another, he/she must contact each
Principal/Counselor for exiting/entering
information/procedures.
5. No transfer in
action from another school.
6. The Board may deny admission of any student who has been
expelled or suspended
from another school system although the student has established
residency in Weakley
County. The Director of Schools, or his designee, shall
investigate the facts
surrounding the suspension from the former school system and make
a
recommendation to the Board. If a student is accepted for
admission and it is
determined that the student is under a disciplinary action in
another school system,
the Board may dismiss the student.
7. The enrollment in, or the transfer to, any
or outside the county, which would result in the student living
with a person or
persons not having legal custody of the student, must have the
approval of the
consultation with the Director of Schools, where the situation warrants, until the
Board meets.
8. The student must furnish his own transportation if he/she is
attending a school
outside his zone of residence.
Transfer Option for Students Victimized by Violent Crime at School
Under the
school student who is the victim of a violent crime as defined
under Tennessee Code
Annotated 40-38-111(g) or the attempt to commit one of these
offenses as defined under
Tennessee Code Annotated 39-12-101 shall be provided an
opportunity to transfer to
another grade-level appropriate school within Weakley County
Schools.
Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Director
of Schools.
5
ATTENDANCE POLICY
The Weakley County Board of Education believes that attendance is
a key factor in
student achievement; therefore, all students are expected to be
present each day that
school is in session.
All students are to be full-time students. High school students
must be enrolled each
semester in subjects producing a minimum of five credits per year.
In schools using block
scheduling, high school students must be enrolled each semester in
subjects producing a
minimum of three credits per semester toward graduation.
All children will be required to attend school regularly from
their sixth birthday to
their eighteenth birthday, as outlined in the compulsory
attendance statute. (
Code Annotated 49-6-3001)
PARENTS are responsible for the attendance of their children
within the compulsory
attendance age.
A student who is habitually absent without permission or absent
excessively will be
referred to the Weakley County Truancy Board. If truancy continues
after the Truancy
Board appearance, the student and the student's parents will be
cited into Juvenile Court.
The parent(s) who refuse(s) or fail(s) to have the child attend
school regularly will be guilty
of a misdemeanor and may be punished in accordance with the law.
Students have the right to a free and appropriate public
education, which includes the
right to equal educational opportunities without regard to race,
sex, religion, or economic
status.
Students have the responsibility to attend school regularly.
Students may not leave the
school grounds without permission of the school principal. (An
Off-Campus Permit is
required in grades 9-12.)
Schools must establish procedures for admitting students who have
been absent or
tardy to class, maintain accurate records of student absences or
tardiness, and report this
information to the Weakley County Schools Attendance Supervisor.
The only exceptions will be as follows:
1. Students certified by a physician to be physically unable to
attend. These children
must then be considered for homebound instruction.
2. Students suspended or expelled by the Weakley County Board of
Education.
3. Students dismissed from compulsory attendance by the Weakley
County Board of
Education at the request of the principal and/or the
parents/guardians.
4. Students exempt from attendance as defined in Tennessee Code
Annotated
49-6-3005.
6
Absences and Excuses
After missing school, the student should bring a note from the
parent/guardian or
doctor to the principal outlining the reason for the absence(s).
The principal will
determine if the absence is excused or unexcused. All absences,
excused and unexcused,
will be properly recorded using the computer attendance program.
Excused absences will be granted for the
following:
1. Illness of the student or appointments with a doctor or
dentist. (A doctor’s statement
may be required.)
2. Illness in the immediate family that would require the help of
the student in the home.
(Doctor's statement may also be required.)
3. Death in the immediate family.
4. Religious holidays regularly observed by persons of the
student's faith.
5. Approved educational activities.
a. A maximum of five (5) days during the school year may be
excused for
educational activities (i.e., travel/study trips, participation in
academic contests,
etc., which are not sponsored by the school or school system.)
Request for
approval must be made before the activity.
b. A request for approval for educational activities exceeding
five (5) days must be
presented to the principal in writing. It will be referred to the
Board of Education for consideration and/or approval as an excused
absence.
6. Documented court appearances.
7. Circumstances, which in the judgment of the principal, create
emergencies over which
the student has no control.
Special conditions are to be expected in the event of repeated
absences. After five (5)
absences, the principal may require a note from the doctor at any
time.
After five (5) unexcused absences, the principal will report the absence by phone to
the attendance supervisor. The attendance supervisor will follow
the procedures
established by law. (
A
student in grades 9-12 who has five or more unexcused absences in a
semester
course or more than eight unexcused absences in a year longcourse
will
not receive credit for that course. (This policy does
not apply at
attendance options. Consult the principal's office at your school
for a copy of the
attendance policy at that school.)
As positive incentives, students who meet certain criteria in
attendance and scholarship
will be rewarded. Students in grades K-5 will be rewarded at their
school. Students in
grades 6-12 are required to take a comprehensive exam in each
subject at the end of the
second semester. Graduating seniors will be excused from second
semester final exams in
each course if they have a 95 or above average in that course.
7
During testing times, seniors who are exempt are required to be
present or they will be
counted absent. The last instructional day before second semester
exams will be the cut
off point for counting absences for test exemption purposes.
Tardiness
A student being late three (3) times will constitute one (1)
absence. In departmental
settings, each teacher may count tardiness.
Make-up Opportunities
A student who has an unexcused absence has no right to make up for
credit any work
missed during that absence.
Any homework or test assigned prior to an absence will be due the
day the student
returns to school.
Homework or tests assigned during a student's absence must be
completed and turned
in by the same number of days absent plus one day.
Any homework or test not made up during the specified time will
result in a zero for
that work.
Arrangements for make-up work or tests are the student's
responsibility.
Dismissal Procedures
Requests for dismissal before the close of the school day must be
presented in writing,
in person, or by phone by the parents/guardians either to the
principal or to a designated
person.
The dismissal of school or any group of pupils to participate in
athletics, band, or any
other similar activity is not permitted except with the consent of
the
Board of Education.
No student shall be permitted to leave school premises during the
school day without
the written request of the parents/guardians, except in cases of
illness or accident.
Students shall not be permitted to leave school to go to lunch.
If illness or an accident occurs, the parent or guardian will be
notified immediately.
The parent will be urged to arrange to transport the student home.
GRADING AND REPORTING SYSTEM
Report cards will be issued every six weeks except at schools
using block scheduling.
The grading scale is:
A 95-100 U Unsatisfactory
B 85-94 N Needs Improvement
C 75-84 I Improving but not
D 70-74 yet satisfactory
F Below 70 S Satisfactory
Kindergarten: All academic subjects shall be reported as U, N, I,
or S.
8
Grades 1-2:
F. Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Health, Writing, Physical
Education,
and Safety shall be reported as S, I, or U.
Note: Grade 1 shall be allowed to report all student progress S,
I, or U the first six
weeks of school only.
Grades 3-5:
reported as numerical grades. Art, Music, Writing, Health,
Physical
Education, and Safety shall be reported as S, I, or U.
Grades 6-12: All subjects (except 6-7-8 music) shall be reported
as number grades.
Weighted Grades: Grades will be weighted in the following courses:
All Honors Courses (with approved curriculum)
All Foreign Languages at Level III & IV
All Advanced Placement Courses (with approved curriculum)
Chemistry I & II
Biology II
Physics
Math IV
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
PROMOTION, RETENTION AND GRADUATION
This policy is designed to provide system-wide uniformity in
standards upon which
promotion is based. Promotion or retention shall be considered
based on what is best for
the student. In exceptional cases, the teacher, principal, or the
Director of Schools will
make the final decision.
Normally, students will progress annually in sequential order from
grade to grade.
Retention may be used when, in the judgment of the parent and
teacher, retention is in the
best interest of the student. The professional staff is expected
to place students at the
grade level best suited to them academically, socially, and
emotionally. Decisions to retain
are subject to review and approval of the principal after
consultation with the teacher and
parents.
In order to maximize the opportunity for remediation, students
with areas of
improvement shall be identified as early as possible in the school
year. Parents shall be
notified when specific needs are identified and shall be informed
periodically of remedial
efforts and given progress reports. In the case of failing work
being done by the student,
the parents shall be informed early so that the school and home
may cooperate in helping
the student improve. Before a student is retained, the parents
shall be notified and
requested to participate in a conference.
Official written notification of student progress is made by
report card. Report cards
are sent home to parents with the student at the end of each
grading period and should be
signed by parents and returned. Parent-teacher conferences are
held twice each year to
discuss student progress. Teachers should use phone calls and/or
written notes to parents
to inform them of student progress as the need arises.
9
The following factors shall be considered in making a decision on
promotion and
retention:
1. Record of satisfactory attendance.
2. Students who have been identified as having special concerns
including high-risk
students and other students with special needs shall be given
special consideration.
3. Promotion for special education students with disabilities will
be determined by the
IEP-Team.
4. Students shall have mastered essential skills sufficiently to
ensure a likelihood of
success at the next grade level.
5. Flexible placement, use of conditional promotion, remedial
summer programs,
assignment to transitional classes, and other approaches to
meeting the needs of
students shall be given consideration.
6. Retention shall not be used as a disciplinary measure.
A number of considerations would be taken into account in making
this decision.
Among them are:
1. The age of the pupil in relation to those with whom the student
would work the
following year;
2. Observation of the child's emotional, social, and physical
maturity;
3. The concerns of the parents;
4. The degree to which low achievement is reflected throughout the
student’s work;
5. Measurable evidence of low achievement in several key subjects
that could be
remediated through
retention;
6. The anticipated effect of the decision on the child;
Once the decision to retain has been made, the following actions
occur:
1. A report of each student retained shall be made to the Director
of Schools.
2. Documentation verifying deficiencies shall be placed in the
student's record.
3. Parents shall have the right to appeal any decision through
appeal procedures
established by board policy. The teacher shall be consulted at
each level of the appeal
procedure.
4. Educational experiences for the repeated year shall be varied
in order to provide an
appropriate instructional program. Variations may include, but are
not limited to:
a. Different teacher(s),
b. Different techniques and strategies,
c. Different materials,
d. Varying lengths of time per subject and/or physical setting in
the classroom.
10
To help determine the effectiveness of retention toward improving
student
achievement, the progress of retained students shall be monitored
for at least three (3)
years.
Middle school students must have a passing grade in at least five
(5) of the major
subjects before being promoted. The major subjects are
English/Spelling,
Health/Physical Education, Social Studies, and Science. No student
will be socially
promoted into the 9th grade if he/she has not been previously
retained.
No student will be retained over twice in the same grade -
exceptions will be brought
to the Director of Schools.
High school students will receive course credit only when the
following criteria are
met:
1. The student has had satisfactory attendance. (A student in
grades 9-12 who has five
(5) or more unexcused absences in a semester course or more than
eight (8)
unexcused absences in a year course will not receive credit for
that course.)
2. The student has accounted for all books, fees, etc.
3. The student has completed all requirements of assigned programs
such as a
drug/alcohol program.
Making Passing Grades and the
According to state law, if a student (aged 15-18) does not make a
passing grade in at
least three (3) full credit subjects (2 on a block schedule) at
the end of semester grading,
the school system is required to report that information to the
state. The
Attendance Supervisor shall report the information to the
Department of Safety, which
will notify the student that their license is suspended or that
the student may not obtain a
license. The school system will not submit any verification of
improvement until the
completion of the next
semester following the student’s license
suspension. (
Code Annot