V. NOTIFICATION
Notice of this policy will be
circulated to all schools and departments of the Troy Public Schools
on an annual basis and incorporated in teacher and student
handbooks. It will also be distributed to all organizations in the
community having cooperative agreements with the public schools.
Failure to comply with this policy may result in termination of the
cooperative agreement. Training sessions on this policy and the
prevention of sexual harassment shall be held for teachers and
students in all schools.
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STUDENT CONDUCT
• Each student will be responsible for
providing a positive and healthy environment for others by
maintaining order, self-discipline and having consideration for the
rights and property of others.
• Each student will bear the
responsibility for his or her own conduct.
• Each student will be responsible for neatness and cleanliness of personal attire and hygiene.
• Each student will respect other students, teachers, and administratators.
• Each student will respect the personal property of others and refrain from causing intentional damage or unnecessary wear and tear on books, facilities, school materials, school buildings and
furnishings, and the personal property of others.
• Each student will refrain from fighting, creating disturbances, denying others the use of school
facilities or buildings, using or carrying any weapon on school grounds, intentionally injuring another
person or acting in such a manner as to expose others to risk or danger of harm or injury. A student
will not use threats or intimidation against any other person.
• Each student will respect the health and safety of others and will refrain from possession and/or use of tobacco, or using, possessing, transmitting or being under the influence of any alcoholic beverage, narcotic substance, illegal or prohibited drug substance, or by engaging in gambling, extortion, theft, assault, excessive noise, or any other unlawful activity.
• Each student will respect the educational process and learning environment of others by refraining from intentional or habitual tardiness, unexcused absences, or any activities which diminish the rights of others and the opportunity for other students
to receive an education and obtain the maximum benefit from public education.
• Each student will show respect to every school employee by addressing him/her as Mr., Ms., or Mrs., followed by the employees’ last name.
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STUDENT MEDICATION
All medications, prescribed or over the counter, must be delivered and kept in the school office.
The medication must be properly labeled with dates, name of student,
medication name, dosage and physicians name. Over the counter
medications must be accompanied by a note from the parent indicating
the proper dosage and use. Students are strongly encouraged to take
medications before and after school when possible to eliminate the
need for school personnel to administer said medication.
STUDENT VISITORS
In order to create an environment most conducive to learning, students will NOT be allowed to bring visitors to school. Typically these visitors have nothing to do and can become a distraction to class routine.
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Student Dress Code
The Troy School District believes that good grooming and
personal appearance are essential elements in the teaching and
learning process, and that student appearance is a direct reflection
of the school and the community.
Grooming and dress must not
distract or interfere with the educational opportunity of other
students.
Dress and personal appearance should not draw unnecessary
attention to the extent it is disruptive or potentially disruptive.
Principals and other administrators have the authority to use
discretionary judgment to prohibit such dress based on past or
current circumstances. Unless otherwise stated, this dress code
applies to normal school hours; however, such rules and regulations
may be enforced at any school function or activity where the wearing
of such dress is inappropriate for the type of activity, or such
dress is determined to be potentially disruptive or dangerous.
Rules
and regulations apply to all students, unless exceptions are granted
due to a student’s disability, medical condition, or other
exceptions approved by the Principal.
Basic Guidelines
Appropriate dress for students must be worn that
does not reveal the body in an inappropriate manner. No cleavage,
midriff, or underwear may show.
Clothing and accessories such as backpacks, patches, jewelry, and notebooks must not display; (1) racial or
ethnic slurs/symbols, (2) gang affiliations, (3) vulgar, subversive,
or sexually suggestive language or images; nor, should they promote
products which students may not legally buy; such as alcohol,
tobacco, and illegal drugs.
Appropriate undergarments must be worn.
Shorts, skirts, and dresses too short in length
are not allowed. As a general guide to the length is that the item
should fall below the tips of the fingers when arms are fully
extended to the side; however, due to physical differences in some
students, this guide may mean some items are still too short.
Hats, caps, bandanas, and other head coverings
shall not be worn in the school.
Sunglasses are not to be worn in the school
buildings.
Hair must be worn in a way that it is not
disruptive to the school environment.
Except for the normal piercing of the ears and
wearing earrings that do not distract or draw unnecessary attention,
wearing of other body piercing items on any part of the body is not
allowed.
Oversized chains are not allowed at school or on
school busses.
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SUSPENSION
The high school principal may suspend a student up to five days for conduct by the
student while at school or while under the supervision of a school authority, which endangers the property, health or safety or others, or for noncompliance with school rules or policy.
Section 20-5-201
of the Montana Code requires the following:
Duties and sanctions
1.
Any pupil shall:
a. comply
with the policies of the trustees and the rules of the school which
he/she attends;’
b.
pursue the required course of instruction;
c. submit
to the control and authority of the teachers, principal and district
superintendent of the district; and
d. be
subject to the control and authority of the teachers, principal, and
district superintendent while he is in school or on school premises,
on his/her way to and form school, or during his intermission or
recess.
2.
Any pupil who continually and willfully
disobeys the provisions of this section, shows open defiance of the
authority vested in school personnel by this section , defaces or
damages any school building, school grounds, furniture, equipment,
book belonging to the district, or harms or threatens to harm
another person or his property shall be liable or punishment,
suspension, or expulsion under the provisions of this title. When a
pupil defaces or damages school property, as defined above, his
parent or guardian shall be liable for the cost of repair or
replacement upon the complaint of the teacher, principal,
superintendent, or any trustee and the proof of such damage.
3.
In addition to the sanctions prescribed in
this section the trustees of a high school district may deny a high
school pupil the honor of participating in the graduation exercise
or exclude a high school pupil from participating in school
activities. Such action shall not be taken until the incident or
infraction causing such consideration has been investigated and the
trustees have determined that the high school pupil was involved in
such incident or infraction.
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PROCEDURE FOR SUSPENSION
The following
procedure shall be followed in any suspension. When the term
“Student or parent/guardian” is used, this shall mean student, it
the student is 18 years of age or older; otherwise it shall mean
parent/guardian.
A.
Notice: The principal or superintendent at
the time of contemplated action shall give the student or
parent/guardian notice of the contemplated action. Such notice may
be oral or in writing. If oral, such notice shall be given in
person. If written, delivery may be made by United States mail or
addressed to the last known address of the student or his
parent/guardian.
B.
Contents of Notice: The notice shall
contain the following basic information:
1.
A statement of the charges against the
student.
2.
A
statement of what the student is accused of doing.
3.
A statement of the basis of the
allegations. Specific names may be withheld if necessary to shield a
witness.
This information need not be set out
formally, but should sufficiently inform the student or his/her
parent/guardian of the basis for the contemplated action.
C.
Informal Hearing: The student shall be
given an opportunity to admit or deny the accusation and to give
his/her version of the events. The administrator may go further in
allowing the student to present witnesses or may himself call the
accuser and hold a more extensive hearing in order to make a proper
decision on the contemplated action.
D.
Timing: The notice and informal hearing
should precede removal of the student from school. There need be no
delay between the time notice and the time of the hearing.
E.
If the Student’s Presence in School
Presents a Danger: Notice and an informal hearing need not be given
prior to removal from school where a student’s presence poses a
continuing disrupting process.
F.
Notification Following Suspension: If a
student is suspended, the administrator delegated the authority to
suspend shall immediately notify the parent/guardian that the
student has been suspended, the grounds for such suspension and the
period of suspension. The notification shall include the time and
place for the parent/guardian to meet with the administrator to
review the suspension.
G.
Readmittance: No student shall be
readmitted to school until the meeting with the parent/guardian has
taken place or until, in the opinion of the administrator the
parent/guardian has substantially agreed to review the suspension
with the administrator. However, if the administrator cannot contact
the parent/guardian or if the parent/guardian repeatedly fails to
appear for scheduled meetings, the administrator may readmit the
student.
H.
Schoolwork: Students who are absent as a
result of an out-of-school suspension do not have the right to make
up missed work. The only exception to this policy will be the making
up of semester exams.
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PROCEDURE FOR EXPULSION
In the event that
the Board of Education contemplates action expelling any student,
the following procedures shall be followed:
A.
Notice: The superintendent of the district
shall cause written notice of such proposed action to be delivered
to the student and his parent/guardian.
Such delivery may be by United States mail addressed to the last
know address of the student or his parent/guardian.
B.
Contents of Notice: The notice shall
contain the following basic information:
1.
A statement of the basic reason alleged
for the contemplated denial of admission or expulsion.
2.
A statement of the date, time and place of
the hearing.
3.
An opportunity to request a postponement
for good cause.
4.
A statement that the student may be
present at the hearing and hear all information against him/her,
that he/she will have an opportunity to present such information as
is relevant; and that he/she may be accompanied and represented by
his parent/guardian and/or an attorney.
5.
A statement that failure to participate in
such hearing constitutes a waiver of further rights in the matter.
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TELEPHONE CALLS
The school phones are
for school business. Students will not be called out of class for
telephone
calls in the office except in cases of emergency.
Students will not be allowed to come to the office
to place telephone calls unless an
emergency exists.
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TRANSFERS
Students leaving
before the end of a semester will not receive a report card nor
receive credits.
When they enter another school, that school will
request the student’s records in Troy and will
combine them with the new ones earned in the new
school. Students must officially withdraw
through the office before any records are
forwarded. The final decision for the grade will rest with
the new school.
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REPORT CARDS
Report cards should
be given to students on the week following the end of each nine-week
period.
Grades are reported to the office and parents by
using the letter system of A, B, C, D and F.
Progress report slips will be turned in to the
office at the end of the fifth week of each quarter for
mailing to the parent/guardian.
If any student
receives an incomplete, the work necessary for a grade must be made
up within two
weeks or ten school days. If not, the incomplete
will revert to an “F”.
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ACCOUNTING – STUDENT FUNDS
The United Clubs
of Troy High School includes the monies of all classes and
organizations within the high school. The
high school secretary is the Fund Custodian. She
receipts all money turned in to the office and pays all bills
incurred for various school activities. The Fund Custodian is held
accountable to the auditor for the State of Montana.
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PARKING LOT
Students driving a
vehicle to school must park in the north parking lot, away from the
fire lane and
keeping the entrance/exit clear. There is a 5 mph
speed limit on the school grounds or when
entering or leaving the school grounds. Students
must drive in an orderly manner.
No unlicensed
drivers are to operate motor vehicles on school grounds at any time.
Violations of the
above may result in loss of driving privileges or other disciplinary
action as
deemed appropriate. Students are not allowed to
leave campus in cars during school hours.
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CLOSED CAMPUS
Because
of safety concerns and the fact that we now offer a nutritional hot
lunch program, Troy High School is a CLOSED CAMPUS. Students
will NOT be allowed to leave campus at any time during the
school day. If a student needs to leave at lunch, the parent must
physically come to the school and check the student out and return
with that student upon check-in.
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SCHOOL LUNCH
Troy High School
lunch programs are operated for the purpose of supplying lunches to
students
within the framework of the National School Lunch
Act as administered by the Office of Public
Instruction, State of Montana.
Price: A charge as
set by the board of trustees will be made to students and teachers,
payable in
advance.
Free and Reduced
Lunches: Applications for free and reduced priced meals served to
students
must be requested on the proper forms, duly
completed and approved or denied by the hot lunch
supervisor. Any applicant whose application for
free or reduced price meals is denied may request
a hearing before the board to appeal the decision.
The students who are eligible shall be issued
tickets in the regular manner with confidential
records kept to ascertain the number of such lunch
tickets issued. No difference shall be made in
terms of lunch served, time of service, or place or
service.
All certification for free and reduced priced meals
shall be confidential to the appropriate officials.
All students will
eat lunch in the designated lunch areas and will be responsible for
keeping the area clean and orderly.
STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE CAMPUS
DURING LUNCH.
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WITHDRAWALS
If a student moves
from this school or drops school in Troy, he or she must obtain a
withdrawal
slip from the school office. This slip must be
signed or initialed by each teacher the student has,
including the librarian, coaches and P.E. teachers,
to indicate all books and materials have been
returned in good shape. The withdrawal slip, when
completed, must be returned to the office.
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CHANGING OR DROPPING COURSES
Every effort is made
to get you registered into the coursed of study you indicate you
want
and the
course of study guidance people feel are best
tailored for you when school starts in the fall.
Schedule changes will be permitted during the first
six days of school ONLY. Permission must be
received from the instructor, guidance person,
principal and parent.
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REGISTRATION FEES
There are no general
registration fees for students attending THS. Shop, art, gym,
family and
consumer science and music may require
a nominal fee initially or from time to time throughout the
school year.
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LOCKERS
Lockers are provided
to students for their convenience to keep necessary school
materials. The
school accepts no responsibility for the safety of
any items left in a locker, and further advises
against leaving any valuable items in lockers since
they are not constructed in a manner to provide
total security. The school reserves the right to
enter any locker at any time. However, no item will
be removed from the locker without the students
knowledge, or when witnessed by a school
administrator and at least on other adult. Locks
are provided by the school at no cost.
The school maintains
the authority to issue, reassign, or deny locker privilege when
necessary.
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ACTIVITY CALENDAR
A master schedule of
all student activities will be maintained by the Activities
Director. Requests
for approval of an activity must be within a
reasonable time to insure scheduling the event. Any
activities scheduled on Sunday must have prior
approval by the superintendent.
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FUNDRAISING
Any school
sanctioned student fundraising activity must be approved by the
building principal
before such activity can be sanctioned by the
school.
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COMPUTER RESOURCES
Students at Troy HS
are encouraged to take full advantage of the numerous technology
resources
available throughout the school. All students must
have their student computer network use form
signed by their parent/guardian before they will be
allowed access to the school’s computer
network. This form allows access to the Internet
only if the parent/ guardian agrees to allow their
student Internet access.
If for any reason a
student violates the terms of the computer network use agreement,
their use
may be denied either temporarily or permanently
and/or other disciplinary action may be taken.
Students and parents
should be aware that electronic communications – e-mail – using
District
computers are not private and may be monitored by
District staff.
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OUTSIDE CONTAINERS
Students are not permitted to bring open drink containers to school.
All drinks brought to
school must be unopened and kept in lockers or book
bags until break or lunch.
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COMMUNICATION DEVICES
Headphones, walkman
etc. are a distraction to the learning environment and are not
allowed in the classroom.
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HALLWAYS
Students are expected
to utilize hallways and restrooms appropriately. Neither of these
areas is
designed for social gathering and such use creates a
problem for other students. Sitting or loitering
on stairs or in doorways cannot be permitted since
obstruction of these areas creates a safety
hazard.
During class periods, students are required to have
a hall pass in their possession.
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ATTENDANCE POLICY
As student’s
attendance is the responsibility of both the parent/guardian and the
student. Both
parties must recognize that regular and timely
attendance is a must in order for the student to
receive maximum benefit from the instructional
program and to develop habits of punctuality, self-
discipline, and responsibility. Students who will
not abide by the policies governing student
attendance will be subject to the listed
consequences.
To this end, the
following rules and regulations are considered School District
policy and will be
enforced.
1. After
accumulating five or more absences in any one class during a nine
week grading period, the student may lose credit for the class. Upon
occurrence of the sixth absence, the student will go before the
Attendance Committee to determine if credit will be denied. If
credit is denied, the student may appeal the decision to the school
board.
2. The
five days of absences per grading period described above apply to,
but are not limited to, the following:
a.
personal illness
b.
professional appointments that could not
be scheduled outside of the regular school day
c.
other serious personal or family concerns
d.
emergency work approved by parents;
e.
trips and family vacations.
3. Any
student who is absent from school without his/her parents’ knowledge
or permission will be considered truant. A student who leaves school
without checking out through the attendance clerk will also be
truant. Truancy will invoke Saturday School.
4. Absences
because of school sponsored activities, including field trips,
athletic contests, etc., will not count on the total
five absences per grading period. However, students
who are absent because of these activities are expected to have
their work made up ahead of time.
5. In
case of a serious accident, extended serious illness, or other
emergency situations, an extension of the five day limit could be
granted after a hearing before the principal. The decision of the
principal could be appealed to the superintendent of schools and
possibly to the Board of Trustees. Special circumstances will be
left to the discretion of the principal.
6. The
office shall make every effort to contact the parents of a student
concerning such absence of the student. Parents are encouraged to
call the high school.
7. Accurate
attendance records will be kept by each teacher, and absences will
be turned into the office daily.
8. Parents
will be notified when their student has accumulated three days of
absences in any scheduled class. A conference may be scheduled
between the principal and parent(s) when the student has missed a
scheduled class for four times.
9. A
student may not drop below two classes per day to maintain current
enrollment requirements.
10. A
student must attend all his/her classes during the school day to be
eligible to participate in school activities that day or evening.
The only exception to this rule is when the parent/guardian notifies
the building principal or activities director of the student’s
absence due to a medical appointment.
11. Once
a student has arrived on campus he/she must check out with the
office before leaving. Failure to do so will result in a truancy and
Saturday School.
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PROCEDURES – ABSENCES AND TARDIES
Upon returning to
school following any absence, except a school sponsored activity,
the student
must report to the office and obtain an admit slip.
Admit slips will be issued on the basis of a
telephone call from a parent/guardian or a note
explaining the absence. Students receiving an
excused absence admit slip will have one school
day for each day of absence plus one day to make up
their work and receive full credit. Credit may
not be
earned for truancies.
Truancy absences are
those absences for which a student deliberately, without cause, or
knowledge of parents, fails to attend class.
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SATURDAY SCHOOL:
Students will serve detention time on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to
12:00 noon. The principal will determine the length of the session.
The minimum session will be two hours.
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TARDIES
Teachers will handle
the first four student tardies. The 5th (and subsequent)
tardy will result in
referral to the administration for Saturday School
assignment. A late arrival to class more than ten
minutes after class is scheduled to begin will be
handled as an absence and will require checking
in with the attendance clerk.
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SEARCH AND SEIZURE POLICY
All property –
real, personal or mixed – in, on or upon the Troy School District is
under the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees. Therefore,
administration or authorized school staff has the authority to
inspect all properties including student lockers, and cars for
articles and substances that may be illegal, stolen or dangerous.
This search will only be conducted when there is justifiable cause.
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STUDENT CONDUCT – SCHOOL BUS
Driving a school
bus full of children of all ages places a great deal of stress on
the school bus driver. Nowhere in our day-to-day school operations
is there any more potential risk than with the school transportation
service. School bus safety depends largely on the behavior of the
student passengers; In other words, it is very difficult for the
driver to train his/her eyes on the roadway (where they should be)
and on the rear-view mirror watching students. To help insure the
safe operation of the district’s school busses, the following rules
and consequences have been adopted:
Rules: 1.
Follow the directions of the bus driver.
2.
Keep hands, feet and other objects to yourself and inside the bus.
3.
Remain seated, facing forward, keeping the aisle clear.
4.
Fourth warning – three checks –driver will call parent/guardian.
NOTE: Subsequent violations will result in three and five day
suspensions. A
conference with the parent/guardian will
take place if the student is
suspended. If the inappropriate behavior
persists, permanent expulsion may be
administered.
Severe Behaviors:
1.
Fighting, 2. swearing, 3. vandalism, 4.
direct defiance of the driver, 5. use of tobacco, alcohol, and/or
drugs, 6. obscene gestures,
7. any other behavior disrupting the safe operation of the school
bus.
NOTE: Students
involved with a severe behavior will receive an automatic suspension
and a possible expulsion. In the event of a severe behavior, the
drivers have been instructed to return to town immediately. Students
who come to school on the bus should return home on the same bus
unless they have a note from the parents signed by the principal.
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DANCE/SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Dances and other
social activities can be sponsored by any group recognized by THS as
a school club or organization. Guidelines are available from
the principal for sponsoring such an activity.
All social
activities will be held in school owned facilities, with the
possible exception of the prom, during the regular school
year and shall end at 12:00 midnight.
Closed door
policies will be observed at all dances. Students will not be
permitted to re-enter a dance unless special permission to leave has
been given by the chaperon. No entry will be allowed on-half hour
after the start of the dance.
Since prom is a
special event for our student’s, parents attending are asked to
leave immediately following the Grand March.
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GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING
The guidance and
counseling department of Troy High School is designed to provide
students with
assistance in the areas of:
1.
educational and career planning,
2.
post-high school training,
3.
financial aid and scholarships, and
4.
solving problems of a personal matter.
All students are
encouraged to make use of this service. The following procedure will
be used for
counseling appointments:
1.
An appointment will be made with the
counselor before school or between classes.
2.
The counselor will issue an appointment
card with the time and date of the
appointment.
3.
The student will not be allowed to leave
class to see the counselor unless a signed
appointment card is given to the teacher.
4.
The student will return the appointment
card to the classroom teacher after the meeting
with the counselor.
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VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL
In
order to create a safe environment, conducive to learning, all
visitors to the school must first sign in at the office and receive
a visitors pass. The visitor must indicate the reason for the visit
and should only visit the area authorized by office personnel.
Violators of this rule will be considered trespassing.
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EXTRA-CURRICULAR ATHLETICS
Troy High School
offers a full program of extra-curricular athletics:
BOYS
GIRLS COED
Soccer –
fall Cross Country –
fall Tennis – spring
Football –
fall Basketball –
fall Cheerleading – fall/winter
Basketball –
winter
Volleyball – winter
Track –
spring Soccer – fall
Wrestling –
fall Track – spring
Every effort is
made to afford any student the opportunity to participate if he/she
has the required scholarship competency as well as a desire and
willingness, by hard work and self discipline, to succeed in
athletics. Team members practice good citizenship at all times, both
in the classroom and on the field. The athlete is subject to all of
the rules of the school, in addition, there are specific
prohibitions on the use of alcohol, illegal drugs and tobacco at any
time during the season of competition.
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WEDNESDAY “FAMILY NIGHT” POLICY
It is the policy
of the Troy Public Schools Board of Trustees that Wednesday evenings
will be reserved as “Family Night” and no school sanctioned
activities will be scheduled for these evenings.
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ALCOHOL USE AND DRUG ABUSE BY STUDENTS
The Board recognized
its share of the responsibility for the health, welfare and safety
of the
students who attend the district’s schools. The
Board is concerned about the community problem
of alcohol and drug abuse and further recognized
that the use of alcohol, narcotic drugs,
depressants and other controlled substances (1)
illegally and/or inappropriately constitutes a
hazard to the positive development of students.
Therefore, the Board requires:
1.
The prohibition of the use, possession or
distribution of alcohol and illegal drugs on school property, or in
connection with any school activity. The first violation of the
prohibition shall be cause for a suspension of up to five school
days which shall include suspension from attendance to, or
participation in any school sponsored event or expulsion.
Students found in
violation a second time shall be subject to a five day suspension
and a hearing
before the Board. All violations of this policy
will be reported to the police.
2. The
provision for students to seek and get counseling on these matters
anytime without fear of
reprisal and with assurance of the confidentiality
of the counseling with parameters of the
"confidential relationship” as determined by law.
3.
Close cooperation by school officials with
parents and guardians of students suspected to be
illegally involved with controlled drugs. This
requires that parents be notified and conferences with
them arranged when suspicion of drug abuse in any
form (use, possession or distribution) is
sufficiently founded. This is intended as a time
when school officials may work with
parents/guardians without involving law
enforcement agencies and without taking disciplinary
action.
4.
The education of students to bring about
awareness and understanding of the dangers inherent in
the use of alcohol and controlled drugs.
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SMOKING
Smoking and the
use of tobacco products on campus is prohibited. The first offense
will result in one day of suspension or Saturday School. The second
offense is a three day suspension and the third offense will include
a hearing before the School Board.
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DISCIPLINARY ACTION
The following
conduct or conditions if occurring in a school or on school property
or if occurring while under the jurisdiction of the school or under
circumstances where the operation, welfare or decorum of the school
are effected, may be causes for disciplinary action, but such
enumeration of conduct or conditions shall not be exclusive or
deemed to be a limitation on the causes for suspension or expulsion
of a student:
Level I: Dress code violations, public display of affection, poor
personal hygiene, vulgar or profane language or gestures,
snow-balling, traffic violations, tardy, or truancy.
