Lee County High School Student Handbook Excellence for All 2013-2014
LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS MISSION STATEMENT Lee County Schools will teach each student the social and academic skills needed to become a responsible and productive citizen. LEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL MISSION AND BELIEFS Our Mission: It is the mission of Lee County High School, as a comprehensive high school, to provide a quality education for every student. The combined efforts of our administration, faculty, and staff are dedicated to acquiring the tools, facilities, support, and cooperative assistance necessary for all students to reach their potential and maximize their future success. Our Beliefs: Teachers, administrators, parents, and the community share the responsibility for helping students learn. A student s performance is enhanced by mutual respect among students and staff. All students in our school need to have an equal opportunity to learn. A safe and physically comfortable environment promotes student learning. Curriculum needs to incorporate a variety of learning activities to accommodate differences in student learning. Students learn best when our staff maintains high expectations for learning.
HIGH SCHOOLS THAT WORK AT LCHS Lee County High School is committed to the High Schools at Work initiative. High Schools That Work (HSTW) has identified a set of Key Practices that impact student achievement through development of multiple programs of study that prepare students for postsecondary studies and careers. These Key Practices provide direction and meaning to comprehensive school improvement and will work to align the LCHS school plan with HSTW goals. Improve school/parent relations and communication Improve teacher collaboration Maintain high expectations and differentiate instruction along with providing extra help and support to struggling students Effectively make use of available data As an ongoing process, we continue to work towards updating and implementing our site plan which focuses on the following key practices:
HIGH SCHOOLS THAT WORK-10 KEY PRACTICES High expectations: Motivate more students to meet higher standards by integrating high expectations into classroom practices and providing frequent feedback. Program of study: Require each student to complete an upgraded academic core and a concentration. Academic studies: Teach more students the essential concepts of the college-preparatory curriculum by encouraging them to apply academic content and skills to real-world problems and projects. Career/technical studies: Provide more students access to intellectually challenging career/technical studies in high-demand fields that emphasize the higher-level academic and problem-solving skills needed in the workplace and in further education. Work-based learning: Enable students and their parents to choose from programs that integrate challenging high school studies and work-based learning and are planned by educators, employers and students. Teachers working together: Provide cross-disciplinary teams of teachers time and support to work together to help students succeed in challenging academic and career/technical studies. Students actively engaged: Engage students in academic and career/technical classrooms in rigorous and challenging proficient-level assignments using research-based instructional strategies and technology. Guidance: Involve students and their parents in a guidance and advisement system that develops positive relationships and ensures completion of an accelerated program of study with an academic or career/technical concentration. Extra help: Provide a structured system of extra help to assist students in completing accelerated programs of study with high-level academic and technical content. Culture of continuous improvement: Use data continually to improve school culture, organization, management, curriculum and instruction to advance student learning.
Your Administrative Team Kenna Wilson, Principal Andrew Keller, Assistant Principal Frank Thompson, Assistant Principal Mark West, Assistant Principal Mari Westforth, Assistant Principal Crystal Colwell, Executive Principal Intern Jacket Student Nation- Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year! As we begin the new year, your administrative team, teachers, and staff want you to know the following: 1. We believe in you. 2. You are important. 3. We are here to help you grow. 4. You have a voice and we are listening. 5. We will hold you to high expectations because you are loved. 6. You are capable. 7. We will have fun. 8. You will succeed. Respectfully, Ms. Wilson, Principal
Academics Bell Schedule First Bell 7:55 1st Block Begins @ 8:00 Ends @ 9:35 2nd Block Begins @ 9:41 Ends @ 11:11 3rd Block & Lunch Begins @ 11:17 Ends @ 1:23 4th Block Begins @ 1:29 Ends @ 3:00 Lunch Schedule A Lunch 11:17-11:47 B Lunch 12:02-12:32 C Lunch 12:53-1:23 Who's Going to A Lunch? # Agriculture Building # Science Classes # Career Counseling Building # Construction / ROTC Building # Industrial Technologies Building Who's Going to B Lunch? # English Classes # Social Studies Classes # Business / Marketing Classes Who's Going to C Lunch? # Band / Arts Building # Music & Theater Arts Classes # Health & Physical Education Classes # Math Classes # Foreign Languages Classes
Attendance Tardies Tardies will be excused for the following properly documented reasons for each class: Medical appointments Court proceedings Late Lee County School bus Being detained by an administrator, teacher, nurse, or counselor for a documented reason All other tardies are unexcused with the following consequences: 2 tardies referral for 3 days of lunch detention in ISS or after school detention for 90 minutes 4 tardies referral for 1 day ISS 6 tardies referral for 1 day OSS Early Dismissal If a student must leave early during the school day, the student should report to the front office before 8:00 a.m. with a note that requests the early dismissal. The note should contain the following information: Student s name Time to be dismissed Method of transportation Contact information where the parent/guardian can be reached during the day Parent/guardian signature Reason for the early dismissal The school will contact the parent/guardian to verify the student needs to leave school. Early dismissals are judged to be excused or unexcused based on the same criteria as absences. If a student becomes ill or has other extenuating circumstances that necessitate leaving campus, the student must inform the teacher and then report to the front office. Student who are ill will be referred to the school nurse before being allowed to leave campus. A student must attend at least 51 percent of a class (46 minutes in a one-block class and 92 minutes of a two-block class) in order to be counted present for that class. If a student misses less than 46 minutes of a class due to early dismissal, it will count as a tardy toward that class period. If the early dismissal results in the student missing more than 44 minutes of a class, the student will be counted absent for that class. Chronic late arrivals and/or early dismissals for a student will result in a meeting with the student, parent/guardian, and an administrator to determine the nature of the absences and ensure compliance with attendance policies.
Absences Attendance requirements must be met to achieve credit in each course. Students that miss more than 8 days per semester in any class may not receive credit for that class. Partial credit is not given for any course. Promotion &Graduation Requirements On the following pages, there are checklists provided to help chart progress toward graduation. The first checklist is for students entering high school in the 2009-2010 school year through the 2011-2012 school year. The second checklist is for students entering high school in the 2012-2013 school year and later. The third checklist is for students enrolled in the occupational course of study. Be happy, be bright, be you!
Grading Scale and Weighted Grades The State Board of Education enacted a policy which requires all public high schools in North Carolina to use a standard format for high school transcripts. Part of this policy requires that grade point average and class rank be calculated by a standard method and that certain specified courses should carry additional weight in this calculation. The intent of this policy is that it will reward students for taking more rigorous course work; provide a fairer, more predictable system for college admission decisions; encourage better prepared college freshmen who will have taken more rigorous course work. Students and parents are encouraged to make course selections with this policy and its intent in mind. The curriculum offerings are intended to meet the needs of students who choose to pursue various career alternatives upon graduation from high school. Courses which are weighted are those which will go beyond the standard course of study; require students to display greater depth of mastery; have higher teacher expectations for student performance. The following weighted courses are available at Lee County High School. English Math Social Studies Fine Arts Honors English I Honors Geometry Honors US History Concert Choir Honors English II Honors Algebra Honors World History Performance Choir Honors English III Honors Pre Calculus Honors Civics Strings Honors English IV Wind Ensemble English Electives Science Foreign Language Art III Shakespeare Honors Environmental 3rd Year Foreign Language Art IV Women in Literature Honors Earth Science 4th Year Foreign Language Theatre Arts III Speech and Debate I Honors Biology 5th Year Foreign Language Theatre Arts IV Speech and Debate II Honors Chemistry Advanced Composition Honors Anatomy and Physiology Career Technical Education (CTE) Honors Classes Horticulture II Drafting-Architecture II e-commerce I Early Childhood Education Strategic Marketing Drafting-Architecture III e-commerce II Medical Science II Network Engineering Drafting-Engineering II Comp. Accounting II Network Engineering Tech II Drafting-Engineering III Principles of Technology II Advance Placement (AP) Courses English III European History Calculus AB & BC Earth/Environmental Science English IV World History Statistics French Physics Psychology US History Spanish Biology Chemistry Government/Politics
Report cards indicate grades numerically, 0-100. At the end of each semester, calculations for class rank and grade point average will be based on the conversion of those numerical grades to a 4-point scale. Honors courses will be given one additional point, and Advanced Placement (AP) courses will be given two additional points on the 4-point scale. Students and parents should also be aware that weighted grade class rank will determine valedictorian, salutatorian, and related academic honors. The following chart illustrates the conversion from the numerical grade to the 4-point scale for unweighted as well as weighted courses and indicates the grading scale used by Lee County High School. Average Grade Standard Course Honors Course AP Course 100-96 A 4.00 5.00 6.00 95 A 3.88 4.88 5.88 94 A 3.75 4.75 5.75 93 A 3.63 4.63 5.63 92 B 3.50 4.50 5.50 91 B 3.38 4.38 5.38 90 B 3.25 4.25 5.25 89 B 3.13 4.13 5.13 88 B 3.00 4.00 5.00 87 B 2.88 3.88 4.88 86 B 2.75 3.75 4.75 85 B 2.63 3.63 4.63 84 C 2.50 3.50 4.50 83 C 2.38 3.38 4.38 82 C 2.25 3.25 4.25 81 C 2.13 3.13 4.13 80 C 2.00 3.00 4.00 79 C 1.88 2.88 3.88 78 C 1.75 2.75 3.75 77 C 1.63 2.63 3.63 76 D 1.50 2.50 3.50 75 D 1.38 2.38 3.38 74 D 1.25 2.25 3.25 73 D 1.13 2.13 3.13 72-70 D 1.00 2.00 3.00 69-0 F 0.00 0.00 0.00
AP Course Testing Students who take AP courses may take the national exam for each course. Colleges and universities can then grant credit, placement, or both based on exam scores. Students who wish to obtain college credit through AP courses are advised to look at the college s AP Policy; score requirements may vary between colleges. Students who have mastered the content area without being enrolled in an AP course may also choose to take the AP exam. See the Guidance Office for more information on the various AP exams that are available. Progress Reports Students will receive progress reports detailing academic progress, attendance status, areas of improvement, and/or teacher comments. Students should discuss progress reports with parents/guardians, get the report signed, and return them to their teachers. If you have questions or comments, contact the teacher. Each teacher will send home progress reports in the middle of each grading period. However, some teachers may give progress reports more frequently. All progress reports need to be signed by a guardian and returned to the teacher within three days of distribution. Jacket STING Jacket STING (Student-Teacher Interaction Group) is Lee County High School s student-teacher advisory program.every student at Lee County High School is assigned an advisor. Advisors and advisees will meet approximately every three weeks during the regular school day. During this time, planned lessons are used to help students with issues facing high school students. Graduation Early Graduation Students who show satisfactory mastery of high school academic skills and concepts and have successfully completed all local state high school requirements are eligible for early graduation. Students must take English through the regular high school program. The parent or legal guardian of the student must make a written request to the principal, and a committee of school staff for approval. Requests are then forwarded to the superintendent for consideration. When the student completes all requirements for early graduation, the principal will notify the student in writing that an official diploma will be presented at the next regularly scheduled graduation exercise. In order to participate in athletics or attend the prom, students must meet eligibility requirements.
Participation in Graduation Students must have completed all requirements prior to the graduation ceremony in order to participate in the ceremony. The requirements are: All financial obligations must be paid including Senior Fee of $25.00 All attendance requirements must be met All academic requirements must be met Students who must complete academic or attendance requirements following their senior year are not allowed to participate in that year s graduation ceremony. Valedictorian and Salutatorian In order for a senior to be considered for valedictorian or salutatorian, he or she must have: Successfully completed all graduation requirements Been enrolled at Lee County High School all four semesters of the junior and senior years Graduation Marshals Cumulative grade point average (GPA) through the third quarter of the junior year determine the selection of marshals. The top students serve as marshals for graduation; the student with the highest GPA serves as Chief Marshal. Weighted grades on the four-point scale will be used for this selection. Discipline Lee County High School follows the guidelines set forth in the Lee County Schools Student Code of Conduct. In Jacket Country We celebrate each other s success. We create. We respect each other and ourselves. We learn from our mistakes. We try our best. We are a team.
Student Life Athletics Lee County High School is a member of the 3-A Cape Fear Valley Athletic Conference and offers the following athletic teams: Fall Winter Spring Cheerleading Basketball (men & women) Baseball Cross Country (men & women) Gymnastics Golf (men) Football Indoor Track (men & women) Track & Field (men & women) Golf (women) Swimming (men & women) Tennis (men) Soccer (men) Wrestling Soccer (women) Tennis (women) Volleyball For information about eligibility requirements and tryouts, please visit our school web page. Any questions about athletics should be directed to Mr. Reggie Peace, Athletic Director. Clubs Lee County High School offers a variety of clubs for after-school participation. Not all clubs offered at LCHS appear on the list below. For information on all clubs, visit the school web page. Students interesting in creating or forming a new club must submit requests to administration for approval. Art Club Future Teachers (FTA) National Technical Honors Society Dance Team High IQ Bowl Science Club DECA Health Occupations (HOSA) Sign of the Fish Family Careers (FCCLA) International Thespians (ITS) Sixth Man Fellowship of Christian Athletes Key Club Students Against Violence Future Business Leaders (FBLA) Math Club Upward Bound Future Farmers (FFA) National Honor Society Skills USA Dances Dances are held for the students of Lee County High School. Guests may be approved only for the Junior-Senior prom. Students attending school-sponsored dances must abide by the regular school rules. Junior-Senior Prom The prom is open to Lee County High School juniors and seniors and their approved guests. For a student to be eligible to attend prom, he or she must pay any fees owed to the school prior to purchasing a ticket. If a student is serving either an in-school suspension or an out-ofschool suspension on the day of the prom, the student will not be allowed to attend the prom.
Information about ticket sales, guest eligibility, dress, and admission will be made available in the weeks prior to the prom. Driver s Education The Driver Education course consists of 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of driving time. Students must be 14 ½ years old to take driver s education. Students must be enrolled in school and have passed three out of four classes the previous semester to be eligible to receive a Driving Eligibility Certificate. Any questions about Driver s Education should be directed to Mr. Mark West, Assistant Principal. Media Center All students are encouraged to use the LCHS Media Center. Individual students or small groups of students are welcome throughout the school day. Students must have a pass from their teacher stating their purpose for using the media center and the time they left the classroom. If a student leaves the media center before the end of the period, he or she will have a pass with the time he or she left the media center to return to class. Music and Arts Program Extracurricular opportunities are available in the following areas: Marching Band with Guard (Flags) Winterguard Youth Orchestra Community Orchestra Theater Activities Stage Band Chorus Student Government Association Student Government Association (SGA) of Lee County High School is the student organized body charged with formulating systems to improve student life at LCHS. Through the SGA and its elected representatives, students will be able to express ideas to assist in the administration of the school and participate in the management of school enterprises. To be eligible to run for a Student Government office, a student must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher, and not have committed serious or multiple disciplinary infractions throughout the year. An officer or representative who commits serious or multiple disciplinary infractions during the year will be removed from office.