E. L. WRIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOL International Baccalaureate World School

E. L. WRIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOL International Baccalaureate World School http://www.richland2.org/elwm STUDENT HANDBOOK 2015 2016 Please refer to our website for updates and additional information The school s procedures, regulations and information are located in this agenda book. The student handbook is used as a student planner for assignments and as a communication tool for parents and teachers. Replacement cost for a lost or damaged handbook is $8.00. Richland School District Two is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, or handicap in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies should be made to: Director of Human Resources: 631 Brookfield Road: Columbia, South Carolina 29206 (803) 787-1910. This handbook belongs to: NAME HOMEROOM TEACHER GRADE EMERGENCY NUMBERS Poison Control 1-800-222-1222 Emergency 911 Suicide Hotline 1-800-922-2283 Rape Crisis 771-7273 Child Abuse 1-800-422-4453 Alcoholics Anon. 254-5301 Substance Abuse 1-800-662-4357 Safe School Line 736-8756 Runaway Hotline 1-800-786-2929 DSS 735-7222 AIDS Hotline 1-800-322-2437 Sistercare 765-9428

PRINCIPAL S MESSAGE Please accept my enthusiastic welcome to the 2015-2016 school year at E. L. Wright Middle School! The reputation of excellence here in Richland School District Two is one that I am committed to support and uphold. This coming year will be one of challenge and opportunity. Invite them both and commit yourself to grow and learn every step of the way. We commit to creating engaging work for you. We need you to commit your time and attention to that work. How far could you go if you gave your very best? Let s find out this year. Every single adult here exists to support you on this mission. Our goal is to prepare you, not only for high school, but also for a successful future. It s time to start! Go Warriors! Mary Paige Wylie Richland School District Two Calendar 2015-2016 School Year August 2014 12-18 In-service/teacher workdays 18 Step-Up to Sixth and Fresh Start 19 First day of school September 2014 7 Labor Day (holiday) 24 Half-day elementary/middle schools for parent/teacher conference October 2015 21 Early Dismissal for Elementary/Middle School End of the first nine weeks 22 Student Holiday /Workday (district in-service) 23 District Holiday 25 End of the 1 st 9wks November 2015 25-27 Thanksgiving Break (holiday) December 2015 21 Winter Break begins January 2016 4 Student Holiday/Teacher Workday 14 Half day for all students End of second nine weeks 15 Student Holiday/Teacher Workday 18 Martin Luther King Day (holiday) February 2016 12 Early dismissal for Elementary/Middle schools 15 President s Day 18 Holiday March 2016 22 End of third nine weeks 24 Early dismissal Elementary/Middle School 25 Student Holiday/Workday or inclement weather makeup day 28- April 1 Spring Break April 2016 1-3 HSAP testing 1-4 Report cards issued 14-21 Spring Break 28 Early dismissal for elementary/middle schools 29 District Holiday or inclement weather make-up day May 2016 6 PASS ELA 7 PASS Mathematics 8 PASS Science 9 PASS Social Studies 12-16 PASS make-up tests 30 Memorial Day (holiday) June 2016 3 Last day of school/end of 4 th 9 weeks 4 All teachers workday 2

FOR ASSISTANCE SEE STAFF MEMBERS Principal 736-8740 ext. 3000 Ms. Mary Paige Wylie Principal s Secretary 736-8740 ext. 3005 Ms. Beth Roether Assistant Principal 736-8740 ext. 3003 Mr. Murray Smith Assistant Principal 736-8740 ext. 3002 Mrs. Jasmine Robinson Assistant Principal 736-8740 ext. 3001 Mr. Steven Sutusky Assistant Principal/ IB-MYP Coordinator 736-8740 ext. 3004 Ms. Malinda Taylor Curriculum Effectiveness Specialist 736-8740 ext. 3120 Mrs. Mannietea Freeman Lead Teacher (LAW) 419-2204 Mrs. Katherine Templeton Guidance Secretary 736-8740 ext. 3050 Mrs. Jackie Greenway Guidance Counselor (6 th ) 736-8740 ext. 3052 Mr. Anthony Williams Guidance Counselor (7 th ) 736-8740 ext. 3051 Mrs. Virginia Solomons Guidance Counselor (8 th ) 736-8740 ext. 3053 Mrs. Janelle Butler Media Center 736-8740 ext. 3021 Mrs. Effie Holden Health Room 736-8740 ext. 3008 Mrs. Carrie Douglas Nurse 736-8740 ext. 3011 Bookkeeper 736-8740 ext. 3006 Mrs. Lola Rabon Attendance Office 736-8740 ext. 3007 Mrs. Tiffeny Manning Main Office 736-8740 ext. 2100 Transportation 736-3774 Mr. Wayne Norton ELW Web Address http://www.richland2.org/elwm DISTRICT MISSION STATEMENT Richland District Two, in partnership with the Columbia Northeast community, guarantees each student a quality education by providing appropriate and challenging learning experiences to equip each individual for lifelong learning, responsible citizenship, and productivity in an ever changing world. E. L. WRIGHT MISSION STATEMENT E. L. Wright, a middle school of academic excellence, in alliance with parents, businesses and community, seeks to prepare 21st century learners to be successful in a global society through engaging and challenging academic opportunities. ACADEMICS All students take the following subjects: language arts, math, social studies, and science. Typical electives include: art, chorus, band, orchestra, yearbook, and physical education classes. *Foreign language is offered to all students on our campus. AVID classes are offered for those students who meet the requirements in 7 th and 8 th grade. Students who qualify by test scores and teacher recommendation are placed in algebra and geometry. AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS After-school programs are offered throughout the school year. Sign up and participation requirements are communicated to students and parents through the school newsletter and public address announcements. We will offer an After-school Care program from 2:30 pm 6:00 pm. Information in regards to specifics such as payment and activities of our After-school Care program can be retrieved from the front office or school s website. FIELD STUDIES Students in each grade go on field studies throughout the school year. 4

GRADING SYSTEM Report cards are issued each nine weeks. Students are graded on effort and academic achievement. No examination or other single assessment may count more than 20% of a student s grade. Progress reports are issued every three weeks. Parents will be notified of academic difficulties and possible retention at the end of the second nine weeks. The grades reported are based on the following scale: A = 93-100 Excellent D = 70-76 Below Average B = 85-92 Good F = 69 and Below Not Passing C = 77-84 Average Interim reports are issued every three weeks. PARENT PORTAL Parent Portal provides parents with easy access to student grades and attendance. To access this system, parents should go to www.richland2.org and click on parent portal. Go to create an account and follow the directions at the bottom of the page. Once registered and active, parents can sign on to the district website and click on Parent Portal to view their student s progress. HOMEWORK HOTLINE A homework hot-line is available for both students and parents to access a teacher s homework assignments. To access the hot-line, dial 736-8740, then press 4, then press 4 again plus the teacher s room number. Parents and Students may also access homework from our digital homework hub found at the following: https://www.richland2.org/elwm/pages/homework-site.aspx. This site will allow parents and students to locate information about teacher's classes, missing work, and homework assignments. MAKE-UP WORK Students who are absent are required to make up work missed in each class. In order to continue the sequential nature of learning, missed school work needs to be made up in a timely manner. A student is responsible for obtaining and completing missed class work and missed homework. Only in extreme cases or prolonged absence will more than one week be allowed for work to be made up unless the student s administrator grants permission. An absence does not excuse a student from responsibility for all homework that is due on the day of his or her return to class. Grades cannot be determined if make -up work is not completed. Lack of completed work may lead to failure. It is the STUDENT S responsibility to obtain all make up work from his or her teachers immediately upon return to school. Failure to obtain make-up work is no excuse for not doing work missed. Students with extended absences should call the school attendance office and be referred to homebound services. PROMOTION AND RETENTION During the three years of middle school, students are required to satisfactorily complete the following core classes: three classes of math, three classes of language arts/reading, three classes of science, and three classes of social studies. The principal will ultimately be responsible for the decision to promote or retain a student. He/she will take into consideration the academic performance as well as standardized test scores and other relevant aspects of the student s development. Parents will be adequately apprised of their child s progress and options. The following criteria should be considered in any combination that would best meet the needs of the individual student: classes satisfactorily completed, attendance, special needs, age, parental involvement, and standardized test results (must be 25% at state testing grades). All candidates for retention must go through school level teams. If the student is retained, options for an alternative instructional plan will be devised. Alternatives include, but are not limited to, extended year options, supplemental instruction, and extended day opportunities. ATTENDANCE We take attendance seriously at E. L. Wright. A student should only miss school if it is absolutely necessary and a parent should provide a note for ALL absences from class. Attendance is taken per period; therefore, a student will receive an absence in each he/she does not attend. Students will receive an excused absence for a class period where they are signed out by a parent from the health room. If a student misses 30 minutes of a class period, the student will be considered absent. It is recommended that students leaving school early for a medical appointment provide the attendance office with a note the next day. 5

The state law requires a student to attend school a minimum of 170 of the school year s 180 days school term. Students must give the school a written note from a parent, guardian or health practitioner for ALL absences. This note must be submitted within five days. Absences without a note will be reported as unlawful. Absences in excess of 10 days require a written note from a certified health practitioner. In cases of extended or chronic illnesses certified by a health practitioner, homebound services may be obtained with approval from the district office (5 or more consecutive absences). For additional information on attendance and excessive absences, please refer to Richland Two s handbook located on the district website. SIGNING IN: If a student comes to school after the tardy bell, the student should report directly to class until 8:00 a.m. If a student comes in after 8:00, parents are required to sign the child in. A tardy can be excused only with a note from a licensed medical practitioner. If a pattern develops, parents will be notified. If a student misses 30 minutes of a class period, the student will be considered absent. Please note that children will not be called from the classroom until the parent arrives in the front office. Student may not be signed out of the front office after 2:15 p.m. EARLY DISMISSALS: Only a parent/guardian may sign out a student before the end of the school day. If a parent must assign a designee to pick up his/her child before dismissal, a written note must be on file in the attendance office. The note should provide the phone number where the parent may be reached to verify authorization. If a note is unverified, the student may not be permitted to leave school. If a parent wishes to remove his/her child from school during the day because of a doctor/dentist appointment or other valid reasons, the parent is requested to come into the main office in order to properly sign the child out of school. Should a parent send another person to pick up his/her, written authorization from the parent is required and the person authorized by the parent must follow the above mentioned sign-out procedure. Since the safety and the wellbeing of our students are always our most important concerns, this sign-out procedure is a policy we strictly observe. Proper ID will be requested. Please note that children will not be called from the classroom until the parent arrives in the front office. Schools restrict when students can be signed out before regular dismissal. Check with your child s school for specific early dismissal guidelines. TARDY POLICY It is necessary for students to be present for learning to occur. Tardiness disrupts instruction for all students. Classroom instruction begins at 7:30 a.m. Tardiness to school and to class will result in the following consequences: 1 st Warning per class 2 nd Warning per class 3 rd 1 hour afterschool detention 4 rd 2 hour after school detention (administrator assigned) - Parent Contact 5 th 2 hours after school detention (administrator assigned) - Parent Contact 6 th 2 hours after school detention (administrator assigned) - Parent Contact 7 th 1 day of In-School Suspension (administrator assigned) - Parent Contact 8 th 1 day of Out of School Suspension (administrator assigned) - Parent Contact 9 th Out-of-school suspension (all day) Parent Contact 10 th Referral to Administrator Five tardies in a nine-week period is considered excessive due to missing significant instructional time. These students may receive a referral to the school district truancy intervention social worker. Students who are more than 5 minutes late to class are immediately assigned 1 hour of after school detention. DISCIPLINE Please refer to the district website for policy revisions and/or additions LOITERING Students who fail to make an attempt to get to class on time, who wander the halls, or fail to leave school promptly at dismissal may be subject to disciplinary actions. DISMISSAL/AFTER SCHOOL PICKUP As soon as school is dismissed, students must report to either the bus loop for bus riders or the car loop or immediately walk home. Students not in these locations are subject to disciplinary actions. Students must be picked up by 3:00 p.m. each 6

school day. Students who remain on campus after 3:00 p.m. will be placed in Wright Care for a $15.00 fee. After school detention students will remain with the ASD teacher until they are picked up by parent at 3:30 p.m. or placed in Wright Care for a $15.00 fee. CAR LOOP Car pick up is only in the car loop behind the school until 3:00 p.m. Students loitering in the main office or in front or side of the school before 3:00 p.m. are subject to disciplinary actions. After 3:00 p.m., students may be picked up from Wright Care. A fee of $15.00 dollars will be assessed for Wright Care services. Electronic Devices Please refer to the district policy in Richland School District Two s handbook on the district s website. Should a cellphone violation occur, the student must surrender his/her phone upon request of staff member. Any student refusing to surrender a cellphone may face a three day out of school suspension. ATHLETICS Students who attend the volleyball and football games should arrange to be picked up at 5:30 p.m. Students who stay for the basketball and soccer games should arrange to be picked up at 5:15 p.m. All athletes should remain with their coach until picked-up by parents. Pick-up will be in the car loop behind the gym. GENERAL INFORMATION APPROPRIATE DRESS At E. L Wright students are expected to adhere to the district dress code (see below). Additionally we also expect students to wear no clothing with rips or tears above the knee. Leggings worn with inappropriate clothing do not make them dress code compliant. Richland School District Two students are expected to dress and be groomed in such a way as to not distract or cause disruption in the educational program or orderly operation of the school. Personal appearance of students should promote health and safety, contribute to a climate conducive to teaching and learning and project a positive image of the district to the community. School administrators will be responsible for determining dress code violations. The principal reserves the right to amend any provisions that he/she deems to be in the best interest of the student or the educational process. Students should dress for the educational setting and not the recreational one. The board will review the policy for any changes needed on a yearly basis. Please refer to board policy in the district s handbook on Richland Two s website. BOOK BAGS: Students are permitted to carry school- related items in a book bag to school each day. Upon arrival, book bags are stored in the students locker for the remainder of the school day. Books and other supplies are carried individually to each class. Items that are not school-related, such as toys, video games and laser pointers will be confiscated and returned only to the parents. CAFETERIA 736-8740, ext. 3013 Breakfast is sold daily and weekly at the cost of $1.00 per day or $5.00 per week. Lunch is sold at $2.60 per meal or $13.00 per week. Lunch may be purchased with cash or a check on a daily or weekly basis. Any charges must have prior approval from the school administration. Students with cafeteria fines will not be allowed to buy items from the canteen. Students must have their ID badges present to buy items from the canteen. Also, if debts are not promptly paid, they can be turned into the district office for collection. Parents can pay food service accounts on-line by accessing www.richland2.org and click on Food Services under Department tab. A minimum payment of $10.00 is required on-line. Please refer to the district s handbook for additional information about breakfast/lunch programs and charge procedures. FEES- MATERIALS FEES AND ELECTIVE FEES Students are required to pay a fee of $15.00 to help defray the cost of consumable materials used during the school year. These include duplicating materials, magazines, workbooks, subject area newspapers, audiovisual materials, bulletin board materials, lab equipment, locks, handbooks, and newsletters. Students are required to pay additional fees for elective classes and other selected programs. The fee for the following elective classes is $3.00 per semester: art, music, physical education, Introduction to Foreign Language. The electives band and orchestra require a fee of $20.00 per year and chorus has a fee of $15.00 per year. Algebra 1 and Geometry have a fee of $5.00 per year. Foreign language classes for 6 th grade and 7 th grade have a $3.00 fee. 8 th grade foreign language classes for 7

high school credit have a $4.00 fee. In addition, the AVID program has a fee of $6.50 per year, and the Leadership Academy at Wright (LAW) has a fee of $25.00 per year. There are no refunds of elective fees for students who change elective classes if they are enrolled in the class for 10 days or more. These fees are subject to change. Students who do not pay fees will be unable to participate in athletics or the 8 th grade End of Year Celebration. TEXTBOOKS Textbooks are issued to students at the beginning of each school year. Each student s unique ID and the textbook barcode are scanned into the State Department of Education textbook accountability system. Students should also write their names in the front cover of the textbook. At the end of each year, textbooks are collected and scanned back into the system. If a student turns in someone else s book, the SDE textbook accountability system will credit the correct student. Students who turn in someone else s book as their own or who loses a book are charged full price. Furthermore, students who return books that are damaged and considered unusable (i.e. broken spine, torn covers, etc.) will also be charged full price. Textbooks should be kept safe and in good condition. Students who turn in damaged books that are still deemed usable may be assessed a minimum fee of $5. Students may not be issued a textbook in any course for which they have not satisfied debts from the previous year. Teachers maintain instructions for the use of online textbooks in each class. Textbooks returned after the end of the school year may not be subject to a full refund. ID BADGES All students, faculty, and staff of E. L. Wright are required to wear ID Badges each school day. ID Badges must be worn at all times. MEDIA CENTER The Media Center will be open for students use from 6:50 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Students may check out or return books, do research work, or use the computers for schoolwork during this time period. Students will adhere to school discipline policy at all times. Students will be charged five cents per day for each overdue book and fifty cents per day for overdue reference books. Students are required to pay the replacement cost for any books or other library material they may lose or damage. Overdue books and/or fines at the end of each grading period will result in the student s report card being held until debts are cleared. Students will not be able to check out further materials until library debts are cleared..passes Unless accompanied by a teacher, each student who goes outside of his/her instructional unit must have an official hall pass signed by school personnel. Students moving within instructional units must have authorized passes. Any school personnel may require a student to show his/her pass. The Agenda book is used as the hall pass with proper authorization. SUPERVISION Campus supervision of E. L. Wright students is maintained between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. In the mornings, students report to one of the following areas: gymnasium, media center, or dining hall. Once a student reports to his/her assigned area in the morning, he/she must remain in that area until dismissal. Prior to the first bell, students found wandering or in an unassigned area will be issued consequences. TELEPHONE MESSAGES Personal messages not of any emergency nature cannot be relayed to students. Plans regarding doctor appointments and other schedule changes should be made at home. VISITORS We are very proud of our school and welcome all adult visitors. All visitors to our school must report to the office and receive a visitor s pass to be on campus. Student visitors from other schools are not permitted during the school day. Parent visitation is encouraged; however, this is not the time for a conference with the teacher. GUIDANCE 736-8740, EXT. 3050 Guidance services are offered to promote personal, social, and academic growth. Counselors direct orientation programs for new students, conduct group counseling sessions, and provide educational and career information. Individual counseling is available upon request by students, teachers, or parents. Appointments are scheduled through the student s designated counselor. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled by contacting the guidance office. Permanent record information, including test scores, will be explained upon request. Additionally, guidance counselors conduct parenting seminars. The guidance department oversees all enrollment and withdrawal procedures. The Career Development Facilitator assists students with developing career goals. 8

SAFETY EVACUATION DRILLS Emergency drills are held throughout the year to keep students familiar with the correct procedure. Emergency drill exit plans are posted in each room. All faculty and staff have been extensively trained in emergency operations. Students should be counseled both at school and at home regarding the importance of following teacher instructions in a quiet, orderly, and expeditious manner, should the need arise. FIRST AID HEALTH ROOM 736-8740, EXT. 3008 E. L. Wright has a fully equipped health room with a full-time registered nurse and a health room assistant. The health room is open from 7:15 a.m.-2:25 p.m. Students who become ill during the day should obtain a pass from a teacher or administrator and report to the health room with their student ID and the pass. The school does not furnish any medication to students, including Tylenol. Students who need to take medication during the school day must bring the medication to the health room first thing in the morning in the original container with a note from the parent. Beginning in August, a healthcare provider s original signature (not a stamped signature will be required for ALL medication administration in Richland Two schools. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, topical medications, eye drops, cough drops and herbal medications. Medication sent without a parent note, or not properly labeled, will not be administered. All prescription medication, including inhalers, must come in the original prescription bottle, or box, with the most recent prescription date on the label. Medication will only be administered according to the prescription label unless a physician s note changes the dose of the medication. For field trips and after school activities, parents must provide medications for students. The health room will not do this. The only exception to this policy will be for emergency medications such as inhalers and Epi-pens. The health room will send these medications only. All medications for field studies should be sent to the health room in advance so the nurse can give them to the proper adult chaperones, along with the emergency bag. Students may not have responsibility for their own prescription and non-prescription medication for field studies. Please direct any questions to the school nurse at 736-8740 ext. 3011. BUS STOP SAFETY RULES * Students should stand away from the roadway and clear of traffic at bus stops. Students must not stand or play in the roadway. * Students should stand no closer than 5 feet from the bus and wait until the driver opens the door before moving toward the bus. * Students must remain seated until the bus has come to a complete stop and the driver opens the bus door. *Students who must cross the roadway to enter the bus or must cross the roadway after exiting the bus should cross the road ONLY after being signaled to cross by the bus driver. Students should also look both ways before crossing the roadway. *Horseplay at bus stops is forbidden and students must respect the property of others. *Students should report any suspicious persons to the bus driver immediately upon entering the bus. *Students riding a bus home after school must move quickly to the bus after school is dismissed. When a school administrator signals the buses to depart and the bus doors close, no additional student loading is permitted. *Students who miss the bus must report to the school administrator or teacher in the bus loading area to contact someone to take them home. Buses will not return to schools to pick-up students who miss the bus. 9

CONSEQUENCES Consequences for violations of conduct or safety rules are assigned by school administrators. Consequences for first time offenses range from verbal warnings to suspension from the bus. Serious offenses may also result in suspension or expulsion from school. Repeated minor violations may also result in bus suspensions varying in length from 1 day to the remainder of the school year. When student conduct creates an unsafe condition, bus drivers are required to stop the bus in a safe location and restore order. In the event the driver is unable to restore order, law enforcement officers will be called for assistance. Students who create disturbances, bring contraband on buses, fight, assault others, or threaten violence will be subject to arrest by law enforcement officers. Students must resolve disputes peacefully and should request assistance from the driver or a school administrator if needed. 10