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General Information at Davis Thomas |
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All st Agenda Books • Arrival at School • Assemblies • Assessment • Attendance • Conferences With DTEMS Staff • Discipline • Dress Code • Student Services and Enrichment Activities • Code of Conduct • Annual Notice of Directory Information• All students in grades 3 --- 8 are provided with an Agenda Book at the beginning of the school year. These books are to be used to record assignments, missed work, teacher and parent notes, discipline concerns, and are an invaluable communication tool between the school and home. Parents are urged to encourage their children to use the Agenda Book on a daily basis. Parents are asked to review these books daily and sign them, indicating that they are aware of their child’s activities at school. Teachers will review these books every Monday morning with their homeroom students to reinforce the importance of using the books and will initial them.
Classes begin at 8:16 AM and students may begin arriving at 7:40 AM. Walking students or students who are transported by their parents should arrive no earlier than 7:40 AM. All walking or privately transported students would enter the building through the doors at the end of the 5-8 wing. All other entrances will be locked. All students will report to the gym until 8:00 AM at which time they will be dismissed to their homerooms.
Assemblies are part of the educational program at DTEMS, both for entertainment and for recognition. Students who are discourteous or disruptive will be removed from the program and may loose the privilege of attending other programs.
The WV Department of Education’s statewide assessment program includes the following: · The writing assessment for students in grades four and seven, administered in March · The Metropolitan Reading Test for Kindergarten students, administered in April · The informal reading assessment for grades one, two and three, administered throughout the year · The WESTEST for grades three through eight, administered in April · The ACT Explore for the eighth grade is administered in October · The Young Writer’s Contest is administered in February (at the teacher’s discretion)
Regular attendance is necessary for students to ensure academic success. State laws require students to attend school daily unless sickness or special family circumstances interfere. County policy permits five (5) excused absences for illness per semester. After that, a doctor’s excuse is required. Five unexcused absences result in parents being contacted concerning the absence of their child. Ten unexcused absences result in a referral to the county attendance director for further action. All absences require that the student bring a note explaining the reason for their absence upon their return to school. These are given to the homeroom teacher, who will then submit them to the office. The office records the absences and the excuses. Absences that have no note are automatically recorded as unexcused. According to state law, excused absences are for the following reasons: · Illness or injury to the student requiring physician’s verification. · Medical or dental appointment which cannot be scheduled outside the school day and is verified by a physician or dentist. · Illness of a student verified by parent/guardians not to exceed three (3) consecutive days of five (5) total days per semester. Verification is required by a physician if absence exceeds three (3) consecutive days. · Illness or injury in family when student absence is verified by a physician as essential. · Calamity such as fire in the house, flood, or family emergency, upon approval by principal. · Death in the family -- limit of three (3) days per each occurrence, except in extraordinary circumstances. · Leaves of educational value adhering to these stipulations: o Prior approval of school administrator. o Prior submission or approval of educational plan outlining objectives and activities. o Leave not to exceed ten (10) days – verification of educational plans upon return. o Leave to extend more than ten (10) days must have approval of the Tucker County Board of Education. · School approved curricular or extracurricular activities. · Legal obligation with verification. · Failure of bus to run in extremely hazardous conditions. · Observance of religious holidays.
Availability of Asbestos Management Plan Schools are required to inspect for friable and non-friable asbestos and develop asbestos management plans that address the findings of these inspections. A copy of our plan is available for review upon request.
Students are permitted to bring backpacks, gym bags, etc. to school to carry materials. However, students are NOT permitted to use backpacks during the school day. Students may exchange books and materials during the day, as permitted by their homeroom teacher. Heavy, large backpacks not only cause disruptions in the classroom by blocking aisles and frequently emptying their contents onto the floor, but have been proven to cause serious spinal and back problems in children. Parents are encouraged to periodically help their child clean out their backpacks at home.
Free and reduced meals, as well as regular priced meals, area available daily in the school cafeteria. To qualify for free or reduced price meals, the parents must complete the necessary application and meet the guidelines, as set forth by the federal government. Students who were on free or reduced meals last year will begin the year on the same status until this year’s application is completed. This needs to be done within the first thirty (30) days of the school year. If new applications are not done, the students will be considered full paying status until a new application is completely processed. If you believe that your child qualifies for reduced or free lunches at any time during the school year, it is your responsibility to complete the application and submit it to the school. The cost of purchasing breakfast at DTEMS is $.50 regular price and $.30 for the reduced price. Lunches are regularly $.75 and $.40 at the reduced price. Meals will be billed on a monthly basis. (Please pay these bills promptly.) If there is ever any question about your lunch status or billing, please contact the school office immediately. If you fail to receive a monthly bill, please contact the office as children will occasionally forget to take these bills home to parents or guardians. The US Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, please write to the USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
A grievance process is in place for parents and students in the event that they believe a violation of federal, state or county law or policy or that access to equal education opportunity has occurred. Please see the principal or contact the Tucker County Board of Education.
All staff members at DTEMS are available for conferences. Parents are encouraged to meet with teaching teams, as well as individual teachers. Please call the school at least one day in advance to arrange for a conference. Staff are not always able to leave their classes or they may already have something else that needs to be done during their planning period. Conferences with other staff should also be arranged in advance.
All students at DTEMS are taught using the West Virginia Content Standards, appropriate for the grade level and course work that the student is assigned. A copy these Content Standards are available to any parent upon request.
Philosophy Several levels of teaching appropriate behavior, rewarding such and awarding consequences for failing to adhere to the school rules, exist within the school. The primary individual who is responsible for appropriate behavior is the student. Should the student choose not to exhibit appropriate behaviors, the classroom teacher will assume responsibility for teaching the student the proper behavior. Many strategies are available for that purpose. Among these are the rules and regulations contained in this handbook. Other programs that are used at DTEMS in order to teach appropriate behavior are accepted classroom management techniques used by each classroom teacher; the STARRR program in the primary grades and the Responsible Student Program for grades 5-8. Each of the foregoing is used by individual staff to teach the students acceptable behavior. It is the role of public education, in cooperation with the parents, to educate the whole child. It is an accepted goal that those who complete public education in Tucker County are expected to take their place as a productive, socially acceptable member of the community.
STARRR (Pre K---grade 4) S Students T Taught A Appropriate R Resourcefulness, R Respect, and R Responsibility In keeping with our role in teaching students appropriate behavior, we, the parents and staff, have developed a responsible student program that we have entitled STARRR. The goal of the program is to develop resourcefulness, respect, and responsibility in our students (the three Rs in STARRR). In order to teach students to be responsible for their behaviors, we have established Standards (Expectations), Reminders (Warnings for failing to meet expectations), STARRR Time (Rewards for meeting the identified expectations) and Consequences (the outcome of failing to meet the identified expectations excessively). The identified Standards that are required are: · All assignments will be completed on time, as designated by the teacher. · Be prepared for class. · Show respect for yourself, everything and everyone around you. · Conflicts will be resolved without violence. There are two types of identified expectations: academic responsibility and accepted behavior. Consequences for Academic Violations Each student is expected to complete all assignments on time, as designated by the teacher. Each student is expected to be prepared for each class during each school day. Failure to comply with academic expectations will result in the student receiving the grade that he/she earns through his/her misbehavior. There will be no make-up work for failure to comply with academic standards. Consequences for Behavior Violation · Failure to meet all behavior expectations that are not covered by the sever clause of DTEMS’s Behavior Plan will result in a REMINDER for K-4 students. · When a K-4 student receives five (5) REMINDERS for Standard Three (3) – Show respect or Standard Four (4) – Resolve Conflicts Without Violence, he/she will be unable to participate in STARRR time. Each additional reminder will result in a day of In-School Suspension. · The second time that a K-4 student earns an In-School Suspension, he/she will not be permitted to participate in a field trip. STARRR Time will be a forty-five minute period of activities that is periodically offered as a reward for those students who have four (4) or less REMINDERS. Once a STARRR Time has occurred, all students will return to zero (0) REMINDERS.
Responsible Student Program We have adopted the Responsible Student Program as our preventative discipline plan for grades 5 – 8 at DTEMS. The program will be two pronged. The first will be one in which students are recognized, praised, and rewarded for appropriate behaviors. The second part of the program is to discourage inappropriate or negative behaviors by assigning consequences. The last period of the day on Fridays will be designated as Enrichment Friday for those students who will have demonstrated appropriate behaviors during the week and not accumulated any lunch detentions. Those few students who choose to act inappropriately during the week will attend a Positive Behavior class during Enrichment Friday to learn more appropriate responses to daily life. There is a bulletin board just outside the office that is devoted to recognizing students’ successes. Newspaper articles or other appropriate documents that describe the accomplishments of DTEMS students are welcome to be posted on the board. If anyone in the DTEMS community learns of any accomplishment that the staff overlooks, please bring the documentation to a staff member’s attention. These successes do not have to be school related, but must be about DTEMS students. At the end of each grading period, an awards assembly will be held and those students who have achieved Honor Roll or Principal’s List status are to be recognized with personalized certificate by the homeroom teacher or principal. All students who display appropriate behavior and accumulate no more than one lunch detention for the month will be entitled to participate in Fun Friday. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: screening a G-rated video or participating in a sixty minute dance on the last Friday of the month. Students, teachers, and parents are encouraged to drop suggestions for other activities in the Suggestion Box located in the Student Council sponsor’s homeroom. The consequence for choosing to not submit assignments, or submitting incomplete assignments, shall be the grade earned by one’s actions. The consequences for choosing to continue interrupting instruction or to interfere with the orderly progress of the school day, after repeated verbal and non-verbal warnings, are as follows: 1st offense – a lunch detention will be assigned in a sterile environment. Students will not be permitted to talk, sleep, read, watch TV, etc; rather, their time should be spent reflecting on their choices that put them in their current situation. Students will be required to complete a paragraph on the reverse of the discipline form that answers these questions. a. The reason that I am here is because… b. I was behaving in this manner because… c. My behavior affected the rest of the class by… d. I could have avoided this situation by … e. In the future, I will … 2nd offense – same as the first 3rd offense – same as the first and the principal will mail a letter to the student’s home, explaining that three lunch detentions have been served, copies of the discipline forms with the student’s paragraphs on the reverse, and an invitation to attend the next 5-8 Team Meeting at 7:45 AM. Parents interested in attending the meeting should contact the school office by the Monday before the meeting so that teachers may plan accordingly. The school guidance counselor will also meet with the student to discuss their actions. 4th offense – same as the first 5th offense – same as the first 6th offense – same as the first and the principal will mail a letter to the student’s home, explaining that six lunch detentions have been served and that the student will be assigned In School Suspension (ISS) within the next five days at DTEMS. Parents will again be invited to attend the next 5-8 Team Meeting or contact the school. The offense will also be entered into WVEIS, the state wide disciplinary recording system. 7th offense – same as first 8th offense – same as first 9th offense – same as the first and the principal will mail a letter to the student’s home, explaining that nine lunch detentions have been served and that the student will be assigned a second In School Suspension (ISS) within the next five days at DTEMS. Parents will again be invited to attend the next 5-8 Team Meeting or contact the school. 10th offense – the student will be referred to the Superintendent of Schools for disciplinary action. Subsequent offenses will be dealt with by the 5-8 Team on an individual basis. The principal shall initiate such other actions as are appropriate due to severity and/or occurrences of any student’s behavior.
Dismissal for students is 2:55 PM for PreK-4 walkers and early busses. Students in PreK-4 are to be given priority when boarding busses. After they have safely boarded, middle school students will be dismissed to board, beginning at approximately 3:15 PM.
Students have the privilege of selection their own style of dress until it disrupts the learning process. Any items of dress that are considered objectionable to health, safety, and/or moral standards will not be allowed. Short shorts, shorts, shirts, or skirts, that bare the midriff; spaghetti string tops; open mesh tops; halter tops; short mini skirts; and any item of clothing that has lewd, profane, or distasteful language are not permitted. Shorts and skirts should not be shorter than end of a students fingers when their arms are down at their sides. Items advertising or promoting drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products are not permitted.
Students leaving school before the regular dismissal time shall be checked out in the office. The authorized parent that is taking the student out of school must sign the early dismissal log. The reason for early dismissal should be a legitimate one, such as doctor/dental appointment or illness.
Our educational package consists of more than just the three Rs. Our educational specialists also teach general music, art, physical education, Spanish, and library skills. Students needing enhanced learning opportunities beyond those provided by the classroom teacher, have Special Education, Gifted, and Title I services available to provide both remediation and enrichment assistance. The Bridges Program is available for the diagnosis of possible learning impairments.
Parents are urged to keep the school informed of any change in emergency information. If you have a change in address or telephone number, please call or send a note to the school with the new information. It is the responsibility of the parents or guardians to make sure that we have a record of an individual we can contact in the even of an emergency and we are unable to contact the parents or guardians.
Student Services and Enrichment Activities Co-curricular opportunities: Students in grades 5-8 may participate in the middle school chorus and/or band. Extra-curricular opportunities: All students in grades 6-8 may participate on the basketball team or as a member of the cheerleading squad. GearUp provides enrichment activities and after-school tutoring for students in grades seven and eight. Student Council Community Service Academic Fairs Assembly Programs Sports Field Trips
To be eligible for extracurricular activities, students must maintain a C average (2.0) for the semester. WVSSAC rules allow students who do not have a C average to improve their grade during a nine week period.
During the school year, trips are taken by classes to various places and are to have an educational value to them. While not always possible, teachers are encouraged to take trips that can be done during the regular school day hours. Teachers are also encouraged to try to have the trips occur in West Virginia and to keep the cost of each trip to a minimum. Any parent or guardian wishing to accompany students on the trip must contact the teacher. Since there is a liability issue of other people attending field trips unless they are chaperones, parents and/or guardians should first check with the organizing teacher about the possibility of other children, younger or older, attending. If the school has a behavior problem with a student, the teacher, with the permission of the principal, may require a parent or guardian to accompany said student during a field trip.
Fire Drills and Emergency Evacuations DTEMS follows West Virginia Regulations regarding procedures for fire drills. They are conducted on a regular basis and students are expected to follow proper procedures as directed by DTEMS staff. DTEMS has also established an emergency procedure. Students will be taken to the Thomas Community Center if it becomes necessary to remove them from the school property because of weather or potential danger. Parents are instructed to leave students in supervised areas until such time as they are officially dismissed. There is always the possibility that the problem will be corrected and that the students will return to complete the school day at DTEMS.
· A 93 – 100% 4 quality points · B 85 – 92% 3 quality points · C 75 – 84% 2 quality points · D 65 – 74% 1 quality points · F 0 – 64% 0 quality points
To qualify for the Honor Roll, a student must have a 3.0 average with no Ds or Fs. Students may make the Principal’s List with a 3.70 average and no Ds or Fs.
It is recommended that students take the school accident insurance that is offered at the beginning of each school year if parents do not have adequate coverage. This insurance covers your child in the event that he/she is injured at school or on a field trip and requires immediate first aid, an ambulance, or emergency room/doctor’s attention. Students participating in interscholastic athletics are required to be covered by insurance. Forms are distributed to all students at the beginning of the school year and are available at any time at the school office.
In order to maintain an orderly environment, the following items are not permitted at school: toys in general, electronic games, radios, boom boxes, cell phones, headphones, squirt guns, knives, guns, weapons of any kind, matches, lighters, tobacco products, or pictures of a questionable nature. If a personal item is stolen or broken at school, the school is NOT responsible.
Lockers and cubbies are the property of the school. State law permits school officials to inspect a locker at any time. Students in grades 5-8 will be issued a locker for use during the school year. Students should not permit other students to put items in their lockers. Students are responsible for their locker and any dame incurred. If a student wishes to put a lock on the locker, the student must give the combination or a copy of the key to the homeroom teacher.
Students who must be administered medication at school are to have the medication in its original container with the student’s name, physician, and dosage. The medication is to be kept in a locked cabinet and will be administered by the Special Education Teacher. A note from the parent is to be sent to the school with the instructions and permission to administer the medication at school. No student is permitted to keep medication of any kind on his/her person during the school day. Temporary medications, such as antibiotics, are to be given at home. It is possible to give the dosage before school, as soon as the student arrives home, and at bedtime. With an approximate enrollment of 300 students we cannot accommodate the administration of temporary medications.
Other Discipline Issues For severe problems, the Superintendent will be asked to meet with the student and parent or guardian to determine the most appropriate course of action. A copy of the county behavior policy is available upon request. Any offense that is illegal in nature will also be reported to the authorities and could result in expulsion from school.
Picking up Students at the End of the Day Parents who wish to pick up their children at the end of the school day are asked to wait in the back parking lot. Walkers and students who are transported by their parents will be dismissed by announcement. Please do not wait in the halls by the classrooms.
All subjects are taught by highly qualified, licensed professionals. All teachers and staff participate in Continuing Education each year. Our professional cooks plan and prepare two hot, nutritious, USDA approved meals daily. All students have access to a registered nurse who is on site two afternoons a week and “as-needed” for student services and consultation. A certified school counselor is available weekly for students and parents.
Report Cards and Progress Reports Report cards are issued each nine weeks. Every student should take a report card home to the parent or guardian. These are to be signed and returned to the homeroom teacher. Progress reports are sent home to parents midway through each grading period. Parents wishing to check on grades more frequently than the progress reports or report cards should contact the teachers.
School Closings, Two hour Delays and Early Dismissal When weather conditions become severe, the regular school schedule may be changed. Announcements of delayed openings and school closings will be broadcast on the following radio, television, and communications systems: · WDNE radio 12.40 AM Elkins · WELD radio 94.7 FM Elkins · WKMM radio 96.7 FM Kingwood · WVAQ radio 102 FM Morgantown · WKHJ radio 104.5 FM Oakland · WFBY radio 106.5 FM Clarksburg · WDTV television Channel 5 Bridgeport · WBOY television Channel 12 Clarksburg
Information may also be obtained by accessing the Tucker County Schools website at www.tuckercountyschools.com. Parents have the responsibility to plan in advance what their child should do and where that child should go in the event that the regular school schedule should change. The child should also be aware of this plan.
An important aspect of public schooling that should not be overlooked is the development of social skills that come from the interaction that occurs throughout the school day and in such settings as school dances, school assemblies, field trips, school meals, and in the classroom. Such skills are vital to success in the human community.
The following is the West Virginia State Board of Education’s adopted Student Code of Conduct. Every student in the public schools of West Virginia shall: · Help create an atmosphere free from bullying, intimidation, and harassment. · Demonstrate honesty and trustworthiness · Treat others with respect, deal peacefully with anger, use good manners and be considerate of the feelings of others. · Demonstrate responsibility, use self-control and be self-disciplined · Demonstrate fairness, play by the rules, and not take advantage of others. · Demonstrate compassion and caring.
The following is the Tucker County Schools Student Code of Conduct: 3.1. All students enrolled in Tucker County Schools shall behave in a manner that promotes a school environment that is nurturing, orderly, safe and conducive to learning and personal-social development. 3.1.1. Students will help create an atmosphere free from bullying, intimidation and harassment. 3.1.2. Students will demonstrate honesty and trustworthiness. 3.1.3. Students will treat others with respect, deal peacefully with anger, use good manners and be considerate of the feelings of others. 3.1.4. Students will demonstrate responsibility, use self-control and be self-disciplined. 3.1.5. Students will demonstrate fairness, play by the rules, and will not take advantage of others. 3.1.6. Students will demonstrate compassion and caring. 3.1.7. Students will demonstrate good citizenship by obeying laws and rules, respecting authority, and by cooperating with others. The West Virginia Board of Education had provided a handbook for students which serves as a guide to their rights and responsibilities in the state’s county school systems. Copies of this handbook are available in the office and media center for review.
Student Changing Busses or Going to a Place Other Than Home Students are not to change busses or go to another place after school unless they have a note from their parent/guardian and have it approved by the office. Bus operators will not permit students to change busses unless they have a not approved by the administrator.
The school day for students begins at 8:00 AM and the attendance laws require students to attend full days of school unless they have valid reasons, the same as for all day absences. Students arriving at 8:16 AM or later are considered to be tardy to school. The WV Department of Education has defined .26 of a school day as ½ day and .74 as a full day for counting attendance. All late arrivals to school are to check in at the office. Parents should send a note with the student with the reasons explaining the reason for the tardiness. Habitual tardiness is considered a serious matter and will be investigated to determine the reason. Habitual tardiness can become a truancy issue.
It is part of the West Virginia Instructional Content Standards that all students acquire basic technology skills. So that students and parents/guardians understand the importance of proper behavior and etiquette while using the Internet and computers in general, each student must have a copy of the Tucker County Board of Education Internet Acceptable Use Policy on file for the current year. No student will be permitted access to the Internet until this form is filed. Copies of the form are available in the school office.
The telephones are business phones and it is important they are available for school use. Phones should not be used to call home for insignificant reasons. If a student is ill or needs to get important messages to the home, the classroom teacher will send the student to the office with a note. Incoming calls will be taken in the form of a message and will be relayed to the student as soon as possible. This keeps disruptions to the school and classrooms at a minimum.
Textbooks will be issued to students for each class. Students are responsible for the books and will be required to pay for lost or damaged books. Students will not be issued new books until they have paid for lost or damaged books.
Parents are welcome in our school at ANY time! If you wish to talk to your child’s teacher or an administrator, please call the school for an appointment. If you wish to observe a class or entire school day, you are welcome to do so. However, it is asked that you let the school know of your desire to do this in advance. Your presence must not be disruptive. All visitors are to sign in at the office when arriving at school. Everyone must have authorization from the office to visit the classroom. This is necessary for the protection of your child and to limit the interruptions to a classroom. Student visitors are not permitted during the school day.
Our volunteer program has received commendations from the West Virginia Department of Education as being and outstanding example of parent/community involvement. It is our hope that when you enroll your child/children in DTEMS that you also consider becoming a parent volunteer.
Annual Notice of Directory Information Tucker County Schools will maintain the following records as directory information. This information may be released at the discretion of the school without parental or student permission. Some examples of the use of directory information include, but are not limited to: publication of honor roll, school yearbooks, programs for athletic events, honors and/or awards, publicity pictures, videography, school websites, and senior mailing lists to armed forces recruiter. As parents or as students 18 years or older, you have the right to prevent the release of any of this information. Directory information may be released without parental consent and includes student’s: 1. Name 2. Address 3. Telephone number 4. Date and place of birth 5. Major field of study 6. Participation in officially recognized activities and sports 7. Weight and height of members of athletic and sports 8. Dates of attendance 9. Degrees and awards received 10. Most recent previous school attended 11. Photograph 12. E-mail address 13. Grade level 14. Enrollment status If you agree to have this information on your child included in the directory information, you need to do nothing. If you DO NOT wish your child’s directory information to be released, you must submit to the school a signed, written statement (on a separate sheet of paper) within ten (10) days. If no written notification is received by the school, then agreement for the child to be included in the directory information will be assumed.
Updates: *We continue to monitor and adjust strategies to best serve the needs of students. A change to make the detention time more effective was made to the 5-8 discipline plan to make after the information was sent to the printer. We have the opportunity to have a detention hall supervised by a staff member. While assigned to detention hall each student completes a packet specific to their offense and has the opportunity to complete class work. The Learning Packets can serve three purposes: They can prompt students to set goals that help them improve their behavior. They can be used to give misbehaving students a better understanding of why they misbehave. They help the student identify and understand repeated or various differing misbehavior.
*Although the handbook states that classes begin at 8:16, students are to be at school by 8:00 A.M. Most students are dismissed from the cafeteria at 8:00. A.M. Students who arrive on a later bus are dismissed from the cafeteria at 8:10 A.M. This homeroom time is needed in order to take roll, lunch count and allow teachers and students time to prepare for the day.
It is the policy of the Tucker County Board of Education to ensure that its work places are free of illegal drugs and controlled substances and that Tucker County Schools are safe, healthful, productive and secure places for its employees, students and citizens.
The Tucker County Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, national/ethnic origin, age, gender, or disability in its programs, activities, or employment practices.
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