HIGHLAND PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL

HIGHLAND PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL 2016-2017

2 Dear Students, Parents, & Guardians: I hope this letter finds you and your family well. It is my pleasure to welcome everyone back for another wonderful school year! I look forward to our students return and the staff and I are excited about the new opportunities we have developed for your child s academic, social and emotional growth. On the first day of school, every student will receive an agenda that includes the handbook. You may begin to review the handbook on-line by visiting our website at http:// ms.hpschools.net/userfiles/servers/server_107556/file/mshandbook.pdf. Students are encouraged to use the agenda daily to keep track of assignments. Please read through this agenda to improve student organization and to understand the expectations for student success. If you have not done so already, please review the required Summer Assignments and make sure that pertinent assignments are completed. All assignments are posted on the middle school website under the Summer Assignments link on the main page. The first day of school is Wednesday, September 7, 2016. All students are to report to school no later than 7:58 AM, when the bell rings for the start of homeroom. The first day will be an A-day, meaning students will start the day in 1 st period. The second day will be a B -day, meaning students will start the day in 5 th period. There will be an extended homeroom on the first two days of school where students will receive lockers and other relevant information. Please refer to the second page of the enclosed packet for more information regarding the schedule for September 7 th and September 8 th. After the first two days, there will not be any Homeroom period. In this summer mailing, you will find required forms that need to be completed. Please return all completed forms to the Middle School during the first week of school. We look forward to seeing you all in September and we anticipate an outstanding 2016-2017 school year! Sincerely, Jennifer Osemwegie Principal

3 This Spring and Summer pgs. 4-6 Checklist Required Forms Dress Code Summer Reading Online Accounts Communication Useful Contacts pg. 7 Back to School pgs. 8-12 Attendance Policy Books and School Supplies Choice Electives Cycle Classes Daily Schedule Health Services Inclement Weather Policy Lockers Lost and Found Sixth Grade Lunch Student Handbook Student Life p. 13 Clubs & Sports Resources p. 14-24 2016-2017 Calendars School Map Health Form Choice Elective Form Honeywell

4 Checklist Course selection form Required school forms Register for PowerSchool account Read Student Handbook Summer Reading Purchase school supplies Review dress code Update contact information if necessary Review student schedule

5 Required Forms All required school forms are mailed home in the summer mailing packet and available on the district website. Our guidance counselor will have created your child s schedule based on the course selection form you submitted. All health forms will be reviewed by the school nurse. If we require additional information regarding your child, you will be notified. If you have any concerns regarding required forms, please contact our guidance counselor, Mr. Marc LoBianco, or our school nurse, Mrs. Ilana Waltuch (see p. 7 for contact information). Dress Code The school affirms that acceptable standards of dress for students are predicated on neatness, cleanliness, modesty and safety. These guidelines apply to students in school as well as school-sponsored events. Dress and grooming that is potentially disruptive to the educational process is prohibited, including, but not limited to, the following: Hats and bandanas Clothing with reference to alcohol, drugs, gangs, tobacco, and violence Clothing that displays profanity or sexual innuendo Bare midriffs and/or shoulders Excessively short shorts or skirts Dangerously baggy pants Exposed undergarments Flip-flops Summer Reading Highland Park Middle School believes in reading all year long. Therefore, there are summer reading assignments which are posted on the website. The assignment for the incoming 6th and 7th graders can be found at http:// ms.hpschools.net/common/pages/ DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=8922997 and the assignment for incoming 8th graders can be found at http://ms.hpschools.net/common/ pages/displayfile.aspx?itemid=8921568. If you have any questions regarding the summer reading assignments you may contact Ms. Dara Botvinick, 6th grade Language Arts teacher at dbotvinick@hpschools.net, Ms. Maureen Rexer, 7th grade Language Arts teacher at mrexer@hpschools.net, or Ms. Sara Dea, 8th grade Language Arts teacher at sdea@hpschools.net.

6 Online Accounts Highland Park uses PowerSchool to track student information including academic progress and attendance. If you have not already done so, you will need to set up an account so that you and your child can access necessary information. Please contact Karen Epps, the middle school administrative secretary, to create an account if you do not have one (see pg. 7 for contact information). Once you have done so, PowerSchool can be accessed via the Parent Portal at https://powers.hpschools.net/public/home.html. Your child will be given a Google account during the first week of school as well. Here your child will be able to access information for their classes. All user names and passwords will be stored in the main office. Communication You can access all of our school and district s pertinent information including upcoming events, school closings, staff websites and the district calendar on our school website at http://www.hpschools.net/. In our district s efforts to be more environmentally conscious, most communications will be sent via the paperless email. If you do not have an account please contact our main office. Emergency alerts will be sent out through our Honeywell system. Please make certain that your Honeywell information is updated (see pg. 22). You may also want to start following the Highland Park School District on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com highlandparkpublicschools/

7 Dr. Scott Taylor Superintendent taylor@hpschools.net ext. 2813 Ms. Jennifer Osemwegie Principal josemwegie@hpschools.net ext. 3096 Ms. Caitlin Brady Assistant Principal cbrady@hpschools.net ext. 3097 Guidance Counselor mlobianco@hpschools.net ext. 3426 Mr. Marc LoBianco Important Contacts not Pictured Name Title Email Extension Karen Epps Administrative Secretary kepps@hpschools.net 3401 Lianee Nagy Attendance Secretary lnagy@hpschools.net 3413 Ilana Waltuch School Nurse iwaltuch@hpschools.net 3425

8 Attendance Policy Absence from School Please call the attendance hotline, (732) 572-2400 extension 3777 when you aware that the student will not be in school for the day. When your child returns to school, please provide a note to the main office which should include the reason for absence, the dates of absence, and the signature of a parent or guardian. The State of New Jersey defines a full school day as a minimum of 4 hours according to Title 6A:32-8.3. A half day of attendance is defined as a minimum of 3.5 hours. Our Board of Education requires student attendance for a minimum of 4 full hours for students to participate in any extracurricular activities. Additionally, State administrative code 6A:16-7.8 & 18A:38-27 requires that more than ten undocumented absences for a student necessitate municipal court involvement for truancy. All efforts will be made to avoid court involvement; however, parent/guardian(s) are urged to provide proper documentation for absences. Board of Education Policy 5200 defines an excused absence as: Tardiness pupil illness accompanied with a doctor s note observance of the pupil s religion on a day aproved for that purpose by the State Board of Education pupil s suspension from school pupil s required attendance in court necessary and unavoidable medical or dental appointments Arriving on time is an important responsibility for all students. Students should be at school by 7:52 a.m. Any student arriving after 7:58am a.m. must report to the main office to receive a pass before entering class. All other incidents of tardiness will be considered unexcused. In accordance with Board of Education policy 5200, every three unexcused tardies count as a full absence. Books and School Supplies In respect for future classes, students are responsible for all books issued to them and will be expected to pay for damaged or lost books by the end of the school year. All books should be covered throughout the year. Students are responsible for any equipment or materials loaned to them during the school year. (Example: library books, athletic uniforms, etc...) Students who damage or disfigure school property (building, equipment, etc.) will be required to pay the repair or replacement costs and will receive appropriate disciplinary action. A list of school supplies can be found on our website at http://ms.hpschools.net/middle_school_quick_links/ supplies_list. This supply list should be used as a guide. If you do not have all or cannot find some of the listed supplies, please do not worry. Your child should try to have the following standard supplies: Writing utensils Binder(s) with loose leaf paper

9 Choice Electives All choice electives will occur during Period 3. All the listed electives will be Pass/Fail graded. Students will not receive traditional percentage grades. Below are the choice electives open to sixth graders: Band and Orchestra Ensemble Independent Study Period: Students will have the opportunity to complete classwork and/or homework. Students who choose this option should be able work independently and use their time constructively to study and complete their academic assignments. Creative Writing Elective: Students will have the opportunity to explore writing in different formats in conjunction with age appropriate reading materials. Students will engage in peer collaboration and use technology to create original works. Habits for Success Elective: Based on Steven Covey s acclaimed book series, this class focuses on building social and emotional leadership. Students will be presented with scenario based text that they apply to their own experiences and collaborate to find solutions to common teen issues. Cycle Classes Cycle classes are different from the choice elective classes. Cycle classes either run during a quarter or semester time frame. On your child s schedule, a quarter cycle class will be indicated with either Q1, Q2, Q3, or Q4, depending on which marking period they are scheduled to take the class. A semester class will be indicated with either S1 or S2, depending on whether they are scheduled for semester 1 or 2. The sixth grade cycle classes are art, technology and the new 6th Grade Academy. The 6th Grade Academy and technology will appear on your child s schedule as quarter (Q) classes and art will appear as a semester (S) class. Below is a sample schedule for you to refer to as a guide. If you would like your child to have the same class everyday the only classes that allow for that are Band Ensemble, Chorus Ensemble and Independent Study. Otherwise, your child will choose two electives, one for an A day and one for a B day. A Day Choice Elective Semester 1: Art Quarter 3: Technology Quarter 4: 6th Grade Academy B Day Choice Elective

10 Daily Schedule The Middle School runs on an A/B schedule. Students see all eight classes everyday in a different order. Below is the schedule for a regular day for both A and B days: Period (A/B) Time 1/5 7:58-8:40 2/4 8:44-9:26 3/3 9:30-10:12 4/2 10:16-10:58 5/1 11:02-11:44 LUNCH 11:48-12:28 6/8 12:32-1:14 7/7 1:18-2:00 8/6 2:04-2:50 Below shows the rotating calendar for A and B days for September to begin this school year. The full rotating calendar should be in your summer mailing packet and can also be found in the resource section of this pamphlet (see pg. 14). S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 A 7 B 8 A 9 10 11 B 12 A 13 B 14 A 15 B 16 17 18 A 19 B 20 A 21 B 22 A 23 24 25 B 26 A 27 B 28 A 29 B 30 Alternative Schedules In case of an early dismissal or delayed open ing, the schedules will change as indicated below: Period Period DELAYED OPENING Time 1st Class 10:05-10:33 2nd Class 10:37-11:05 3rd Class 11:09-11:37 4th Class 11:41-12:09 5th Class 12:13-12:46 LUNCH 12:50-1:14 6th Class 1:18-1:46 7th Class 1:50-2:18 8th Class 2:22-2: 50 EARLY DISMISSAL Time 1st Class 7:58-8:28 2nd Class 8:32-9:02 3rd Class 9:06-9:36 4th Class 9:40-10:10 5th Class 10:14-10:44 6th Class 10:48-11:18 7th Class 11:22-11:52 8th Class 11:56-12:30

11 Health Services A registered, certified full-time nurse is available during regular school hours and may be contacted by calling 732-572-2400, ext. 3413. If a student wishes to make a routine visit to the nurse, the student is required to get a pass from their teacher. Emergency care is provided always during the day. If a student is ill, that student must sign out with the nurse and in attendance before leaving the building. If your child needs medication throughout the day or has any type of allergy, please fill out the nurse s form in the resource section (see pg. 19). Inclement Weather Policy Except in cases of emergency, schools will be kept open in accordance with the school calendar. If it is necessary to close schools because of extreme weather conditions or other emergencies, the Honeywell Alert System will be activated. When school is in session and it becomes necessary to close school early because of extreme weather conditions or other emergencies, an announcement will be communicated through the Honeywell Alert System. In preparation for an early closing, please make arrangements with your child ahead of time. Lockers Students will be assigned a locker and combination on the first day of school. Lockers are for student use but are owned by the Highland Park Board of Education. The administration may inspect the contents of a student s locker without notice if there is a possibility that the safety and well-being of the school community is threatened or there is a serious infraction of school rules. The administration may also routinely search lockers at his/her discretion. Students will be held responsible for any damage to the assigned locker and are expected to keep it clean at all times. Students are not permitted to share a locker with another student. Announced locker clean outs will be held to ensure cleanliness. If a student forgets his/her locker number or combination, or has trouble opening the locker at any time, he/ she should contact the main office. Lost and Found Any found articles should be taken to the main office area where the item can be claimed. A designated lost and found area is set up in the middle school cafeteria as well. Students are urged not to bring valuable items or large sums of money to schools. Items left in lost and found are donated periodically. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen property.

12 Sixth Grade Lunch The sixth graders eat lunch in the middle school cafeteria, separate from the 7th and 8th graders, who eat in the high school cafeteria. The middle school students are expected to follow the code of conduct, as well as maintain proper cafeteria etiquette. There is an incentive program where students can earn privileges such as the use of technology during lunch and recess. Student Handbook The Student Handbook contains a great deal of information about our school. It details school policies, student expectations, contact information, and school calendars. Various rules and principles governing behavior are outlined in these pages as well. All students and parents need to be familiar with this information. Each student is given a handbook at the beginning of the school year that they can use as an agenda and which they will also be required to use as a hall pass. The handbook can also be found online at http://ms.hpschools.net/ UserFiles/Servers/Server_107556/File/ mshandbook.pdf for review and to help address any additional questions you may have.

13 Criteria for Selection Clubs and Sports It is the philosophy of the administration that students who participate in inter-scholastic athletics are representatives of the Highland Park Middle School and the school district. Therefore, it is expected that team members will display an exceptional degree of positive behavior and sportsmanship at all times. As always, student-athletes are expected to maintain a high degree of scholarship and integrity at all times. In order to participate in athletic practices and games, a student must receive a satisfactory medical examination for the current school year and submit a properly signed athletic participation form for each sport. Middle school athletes are expected to maintain the highest degree of individual scholarship. Any student who fails one or more subject areas is ineligible for participation in the athletic program during the next marking period. A student who fails or is failing a subject will be placed on an academic contract designed by the school and the student. Extra-Curricular Clubs Band Chorus Orchestra Battle of the Books Newspaper Student Council Science Bowl Yearbook Interscholastic Sports Soccer Football Basketball Wrestling Baseball Softball Track & Field Drama

Rotating Calendar 14

District Calendar 15

School Map 16

School Map 17

School Map 18

Health Form 19

Choice Elective Form Pg. 1 20

Choice Elective Form Pg. 2 21

Honeywell Pg. 1 22

Honeywell Pg. 2 23

HIGHLAND PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL 24