Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures

Mrs. Covert 2023-2024

Class Policies

A.      Note from the Instructor *Masks in the classroom or hallways are optional at this time.  

This notice outlines our classroom policies for a disciplined classroom. It is the student's responsibility to comply with these policies. If one chooses not to comply, there are logical consequences beginning with Paws steps, redirection, lunch detention or referrals. 

B.      Class Rules: I have one... CARE, in addition to our school rules:

Think Before You Speak- Students will exhibit courtesy and respect toward all other students and adults at all times.  Inappropriate discussions, profanity, and hateful comments concerning race, gender, sexuality, political views, appearance, or of any other type will not be tolerated; this applies to all comments regardless of intent. I feel that the lowest form of humor is the type that ridicules others. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but depending on the content, there is an appropriate time and place to express it. Often this is not during class time unless it is related to our subject matter.  Please know that this includes online techbook collaboration and online access ethics. No one is to unlawfully use another person's picture [student or teacher] or name without permission from student or teacher. School use permission is assumed unless informed otherwise on forms at beginning of the year.   

Keep Your Hands to Yourself-  Students will respect the property of others. Physical contact of any kind is not permitted. "Horse playing" or fooling around, or displays of affection are not acceptable. Violation of this rule will result first in an imediate conversation/warning foul while continued goofing off will result in a refusal to obey detention, repeated offenses will warrant an administrative referral.  

Stay in Your Seat-  Students may access the student center as needed. Garbage (quartered folded paper) shall remain on the desktop and the teacher will recover it to place it in the garbage. Pencil sharpener, Kleenex tissues or hand sanitizer from the student center is allowed for immediate access.  You may raise your hand to ask permission for other reasons requiring a need to be out of your seat. If there is a specific need for being out of seat this is allowed with a request to a teacher and agreed upon place to stand or be in another location of movement that applies to personal situations.  

Nothing Goes Airborne- Nothing will go airborne in class at any time.  This includes masks, pens, paper, lab or classroom materials, parts of pen/pencils and other students. Only exception is teacher directed labs or incentive game.  

Put Away Electronic Devices- I am not responsible for loss or damage to any personal device in the classroom. The student is not to decide to use this technology of their own accord at any time without my permission. Before entering the classroom these items need to be turned off and out of view. Electronic devices should not be visible on one's person.  This includes: cell phones, smart watches, tablets, iPods, cameras, Mp3's, and personal video game equipment or other technology.   If they are in use during class without permission, administration will be informed and may determine the consequence according to school policy.  This will not be an issue with 1:1 computer use. If a phone call is to be made home the student may go to the office. No cell phones should be used in the restroom facilities during school hours. Students are expected to bring their own ear buds or headphones for their 1:1 technology use when deemed appropriate by the classroom teacher lesson plans as we transition to 1:1.  

Grooming products and food not in lab- Breakfast should be eaten in the cafeteria. If bringing food from home go directly to the cafeteria, do not bring it to the classroom. Hairbrushes, combs, make-up, lotions, body sprays, etc. are not tolerated in the science room on the lab tables. Food and beverage is not permitted in Science classrooms by state law. Bottled water in a clear container is permitted except must be put away by national science rules during a lab. Other beverages required for medical needs must be approved by the health professional or outlined as "required" in a 504 plan. 

C.      If YOU CHOOSE to Break a Rule:

There are offenses that warrant an Administrative Referral immediately.  Examples of these include gross insubordination toward an adult, refusal to obey with a directive and violent, verbally abusive, or disruptive behavior, and unauthorized technology access during assessments.  Behaviors that are in violation of the basic rules of the class will be dealt with in the manner described below: 

►1st Incident- Verbal Conversation, Re-direction and Warning and Paws Step number 1 is recorded.

  ►2nd Incident- Verbal redirection/Parent/Guardian Contact, and lunch detention as well as recording Paws step 2.

          ►3rd Incident- Paws step 3 is recoded and there is a request made for a Parent/Guardian conference with guidance and other team teachers.                            

  ►4th Incident- Paws Step 4 and Parent contact; Administration Referral GIVEN BY TEACHER... ADMINISTRATION DETERMINES THEIR OWN ACTION IN RESPONSE TO EACH REFERRAL WRITTEN.

◄Continued violations will be noted and dealt with appropriately►

Paws steps are wiped clean and begin fresh each quarter.

Pawsitive Paws are also recorded for quarterly rewards.  

D.      Tardies and Late Arrivals

A student who is not in the classroom with the whole class escorted in the line, is considered either late or tardy.  A student is tardy if he is without a pass.  A student is late if he arrives with a pass after the bell.  Tardy students need to sign-in the red folder, slip a pass into the pocket and need not disrupt the class.  The tardy penalty is explained below:

Definition- A student is tardy if he/she is not inside the classroom following whole class escort.

■              First Tardy- Student receives a warning, re-direction of procedure.                          

        ■              Second Tardy- a phone call home and an after school detention.

                ■              Third Tardy- referral to administration for repeated offenses by Attendance office. 

Frequent absences result in missing work and an [ABS] grade of 50 until the classwork is made up and turned in. 

◄These will be handled as indicated in the student handbook.►

E.      Academic Honesty

It is expected that students will use genuine means for the accomplishment of tests, tasks, or projects.  Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, using others' ideas or words without properly citing them, copying another student’s daily class assignments or homework including independent practice test study guides, talking to another student or disturbing others during a test, turning in an assignment not completed by the individual turning it in, and/or cutting and pasting from the Internet, accessing unauthorized web sites during assessment.  Students found plagiarizing,copying or cheating in any way will receive a phone call home and a Grade Floor Applied [GFA] of 50 and with teacher re-direction the opportunity may be earned to redo an alternative assignment for partial credit from 59 minimum for incomplete to 75 if done well.

F.      Attendance

If a student has an excused absence from class he is responsible for the assignments/ homework that were missed.  It is the student's responsibility to inquire about missed work and tests. Extras are available at our classroom "Student Center". Labs are excused for school absence. Truancy is handled according to Greenville County School policy as indicated in the Student handbook. 

G.      Class Work

Classwork assignments are turned in the bin drawer assigned to the class. I consider myself to be fair with this policy as I understand unforeseen circumstances often interfere with the ability to adhere to deadlines. A NHI may be issued for missing work but is replaceable for the grade if accompanied with a letter from home explaining the delay. Email me with any concerns: rcovert@greenville.k12.sc.us or rcovert@greenvilleschools.us 

Missing work (NHI not handed in) from a prior quarter or from a prior unit (after a unit test) is not accepted for grade posting purposes. 

H.       Labs

Labs are an important part of the Science classroom curriculum. Lab rules are reviewed prior to the lab. Any student choosing to ignore safety rules or to behave carelessly during a lab may sit out and complete an alternate appropriate assignment as well as a classroom consequence (phone call home and detention or referral). Lab work/reports are due immediately at the end of the class and late work is not accepted for Labs. Labs cannot be made up except with an alternative assignment similar in content and are only excused for school absence.

I.       Dress Code: Students arrive in correct dress code as outlined in the Student/Parent handbook. 

If a student is seen wearing clothing (hoodies, no collar on shirt, designated uniform pants) that does not adhere to the handbook a student will be sent to the main office to contact a parent/guardian to bring clothing from home that is within dress code policy guidelines.  If that parent/guardian is unavailable, the student may have another option offered by administration.

Detailed Class Procedures

Note from the Teacher

As an instructor, I have procedures in place to ensure an efficient and smooth running classroom. It is a student’s responsibility to learn and perform these procedures per the student handbook. 

Most Common Procedures

►Entering the Classroom

●     Enter Calmly - You are to enter the classroom without causing disruption. Students who do not do this will be asked to leave the room and re-enter in the manner that is expected. 

●     Get To Work- Once you are seated, copy posted objective and focus question into your assignment notebook in Science space and follow posted directions for the day’s bellwork “Interactive student notebook”.

►Bellwork

The class will begin with bellwork known as Interactive Student Notebook. The daily agenda is posted with notes which shall begin as soon as you enter the classroom. Copy any Homework from board into your assignment notebook. The ISN is required daily as this is the study guide for tests given based on work done during this time and throughout the class period.

►Materials for Day

CHROMEBOOK - FULLY CHARGED WITH PERSONAL HEADPHONES EVERY DAY IN ATTENDANCE!!! 

INTERACTIVE STUDENT NOTEBOOK - EVERY DAY (composition notebook)

GOOGLE CLASSROOM:  Students will be assigned their own copy for online assignments unless otherwise indicated in the instructions. Any handouts that you need are provided by me or in the tech-book on the group tables. If we are having a lab, the specific lab instructions of how and when to get lab supplies will be given along with a lab report due by end of period. No student should touch lab supplies until being directed to do so. Only one person from each lab group will be responsible for supplies, others are assigned different lab duties.  

►Handing In Late work

If there is an assignment that you need to hand in, place it in assigned bin or submit in Google Classroom and be sure to click "turn in". Email the teacher that you have submitted an assignment for a grade update from a GFA or NHI. 

Never take anything out of the bin (even your own work) without permission from the teacher. *Google Classroom turn-in is often the place. If work is turned in past the unit test it will not be posted for credit into the grade book. 

Late work is not accepted for a grade within five days of the end of quarter's marking period. Again, late work grades will not be entered into power school during the 5 day cut off prior to the end of the quarter. A grade of 50% NHI remains as entered. (Illness related absence late work has a five day grace period up until the 5 day cut off prior to the end of a quarter and at that point if it is that close may be exempted). Homework is only "late or missing or not handed in" classwork and will not be assigned separately this year in Science. Homework may also be studying or reviewing the study guide and ISN (Interactive Student Notebook). 

►Coming to Attention

When I need to quiet the class, I will raise my hand using a T for time out signal. Conversation must stop; students must stop conversation and all activity should stop immediately and attention given. If this does not happen in a reasonable amount of time, there will be a student/teacher conversation but if it is repetitive a parent contact may occur. 

►Arriving Late

When one enters the room late (with a pass) they need not disturb the class or teacher. Simply sign in the folder by the door with pass, date and time. If one must speak with me regarding concerns that ocurr due to the lateness please raise your hand when it is appropriate to do so.

►Absences

On the day one returns from an absence they should check the "student center" for class work folder you missed.  The class log will detail what we did in class. Turn in make-up work with the current date into the bin drawer. Labs cannot be made up but will be excused for absences unless an alternate is available.

►Make-Up Tests

Make-up tests are available by appointment after discussing readiness & study guide notes. There is an ability to use flex-time in the morning for assigned make-ups.

►Detentions - Lunch Table

As indicated in the Bryson Middle School student handbook, students will receive one warning verbally and then if necessary a second warning with a teacher lunch detention and parent phone call, if one chooses to behave inappropriately.  If wrong choices continue after verbal redirection, I will remind the student to see me right after class. When class is dismissed, I will let the student know my intention to contact a parent or guardian regarding classroom disruption caused by misbehavior. Administration detentions or referral may follow.   

►Emergency Drills - These will be different this year depending on which plan we are using!   In lieu of acting out the tornado/earthquake or lockdown/lock out drills, the drill will be conducted at school desks. 

In the event of an emergency drill (fire, tornado, lock down, or other), students must calmly follow the emergency guidelines as directed by the classroom teacher or substitute teacher.  In the case of fire drill, for example, one should exit through the science class exterior exit door and head directly out to the field and line up behind your instructor in A-Z order. Tornado drills may be held in the hallways when we return to a normal 5 day full attendance schedule. Students must take these drills seriously because if they are not cooperating the drill may last unnecessarily longer and in the case of a real emergency we need to be able to immediately proceed according to the safety plan in plan. 

►Textbook Distribution

Students are responsible to follow assignment directions for the Savvas on-line digital techbook. This includes being mindful of the digital citizenship and ethics lesson taught the first week of school. Students are expected to adhere to the classwork as assigned. Browser searches off topic are not tolerated and will be written up on a referral. 

►Subject Matter and Testing

Eighth grade students do have Greenville County District common assessments. They are not tested in the spring in 2024 on the SCSS with a PASS assessment in Science in 8th grade. Eighth grade students study Earth Science as well as Physical Science. We have many assessments during the year. There is a common assessment final exam at the end of the year for all 8th grade science students. Students must have exemplary behavior (Manners & Maturity ~ M&M’s) during testing or will be placed to test in another location so as not to cause disturbance to others while they are testing.

►Leaving the Classroom

A pass is needed for leaving the class. The pass is recorded online before departure. I dismiss class according to the 8th grade schedule. Do not leave your seats or the class until I dismiss each line to hall. There is a sign out program to use for passing in the hall in-between periods if given permission by the classroom teacher for rest-room, nurse, media center, other teachers, counselors, etc. Students are considered "cutting class" if located in the hall without being recorded on the sign-out online document. 

 No one is to be roaming the hallway, cutting class or loitering outside or inside the restroom without a pass. Students are never to be sharing the same space within a bathroom stall, this will be an immediate referral.  Teachers must know where their assigned students are at all times. If this ever happens a parent will be contacted immediately and an administrative referral will be written.     

◄Procedures may be changed or added by the instructor or if dmed necessary by administration updates.►

2023-2024