General School Information

School Program

In the 6^th grade and 7th grade students are placed on a team of four with each teacher responsible for a specific core academic area. Special Education personnel and an English as a Second Language teacher are assigned to a team. A guidance counselor is also assigned to each team. Each 6th and 7th grade team is part of a Neighborhood structure that is intended to establish strong relationships with students and their families.

Students attend the four core academic classes each day along with five enrichment classes spread throughout the week. The enrichment classes are: art, music, wellness, physical education, and information literacy and technology. In seventh grade, math grouping is performance based. Students are placed in either pre-algebra or standard seventh grade math according to past performance and teacher recommendations. Students may also select elective classes in place of enrichment classes; which include orchestra, band, and chorus. Students will conclude their day with a ten-minute homeroom period to organize and gather materials needed for home.

All instructional units are based on current state and national standards. Each unit of instruction establishes high, clear expectations for all students. Each teacher addresses and assesses each standard using various tools. Lessons may include accommodations for students, and modifications to fit the learning needs of special education and English Language Learner (ELL) students.

Daily Expectations for Students

At the start of school, all students should be seated quietly in their homerooms. This allows students time to organize for the day, and permits teachers time to take attendance and to conduct other school business.

• Students are expected to walk on the right hand side of the hallway in an orderly fashion when changing classes. Dismissal from any class or activity will be at the direction of the teacher.

• Students are allowed to use the office phones with permission and ONLY in an emergency. Plans should be made before school begins or after school ends, not in between or during classes.

• Gum chewing is allowed. However, at the discretion of the teacher, there may be times when gum chewing is not permitted. Gum should be disposed of prior to entering that teacher’s classroom.

• Appropriate dress is required. (See Dress Code)

• Students getting picked up are to be dismissed five minute before students who are riding the bus and/or participating in after school activities.

• Students are required to be under the supervision of a teacher when in the school building, before school, and after dismissal time.

Band, Chorus, and Strings

Any student who sings or plays a standard musical instrument may participate in these activities. Rehearsals are scheduled on a regular basis throughout the school year. Both individual and group sessions will be offered for 6^th and 7^th grade.

Bicycles

Students are responsible for the security of their own bicycles. The use of locks is encouraged and state law requires that you wear a helmet if you are 16 years of age or younger.

Care of School Books and Property

It is the responsibility of students and parents to return school property when requested and to cooperate in keeping materials in circulation. Students who lose or ruin a book must pay for it. Prompt monetary payment is required when school property is lost or damaged under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 266, 680, and 722.

Student Cell Phones

The Barnstable Intermediate School has a “no cell phone policy.” Students have access to school telephones if needed. Cell phones may be confiscated if a student is found in possession or using cell phones during school hours. Multiple offenses will result in disciplinary action.

Curriculum-Related Videos

Teachers may use videos from the BIS Library as curriculum-related instructional materials. Videos are curriculum-related, grade-level appropriate, and do not exceed a PG rating. Please contact the school with any concerns over viewing materials.

Dropping off Items

To minimize class disruptions, unless it is an emergency, students are notified about dropped off items during their lunch period. An administrator will pick up any forgotten student lunches or lunch money before each lunch. We ask that if a student has forgotten an item, other than lunch or lunch money, please drop off that item before first lunch at 10:30 a.m. Students are then notified about those items during lunch.

Extra help and Make-up Work (may be different during the 2020-2021 school year due to Hybrid/Remote learning)

Students are continually encouraged to demonstrate a sense of responsibility by making up work and going to extra help sessions. Students who are absent for a prolonged period of time will be given time to make up the work missed. Teachers shall also make every effort to provide after school help and consultation to students as requested by the student or parent.

Field Trips (will not be held during the 2020-2021 school year due to Covid-19 safety protocols.)

Your teacher or team may plan educational activities away from school. These field trips are an important part of our educational program and supplement the curriculum. Attendance on field trips is not guaranteed. A student’s conduct at school determines his or her eligibility for field trips. Students who are excluded from field trips are expected to attend school on the day of the trip. A supervised program of study will be prepared for them.

If medication is needed, it should be given by the school nurse before leaving or upon returning to the school. If this is not possible, the field trip medication administration will be delegated to the teacher. The following guidelines apply to all field trips: 1) parents should examine all backpacks and bags before students leave home 2) students should not bring any forms of technology - radios, cell phones, ipods or video games 3) students should dress appropriately for the trip (i.e., plenty of layers and sun block for outdoor trips and appropriate clothing for indoor/city experiences), and 4) students should stay with their teachers or chaperones at all times.

Fire and Lock Down Drills

Fire drills require orderly, quick passage from the building. Silence is expected during any drill. Students must follow the directions posted in each room and those given by the teacher. Lock Down drills will be conducted during the school year. Students must follow the directions of their classroom teachers.

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Wellness

Wellness class covers a variety of topics including issues dealing with the human reproductive system. Parents have the right to exempt their child from this unit by submitting a written request to the principal. A copy of this unit’s curriculum is available in our library. Specific questions regarding the health curriculum should be addressed to Mrs. Margaret Drude, Health and Physical Education Department Chair at (508) 790-6460, Ext. 312.

Homework (may be different during the 2020-2021 school year due to Hybrid/Remote learning)

Homework assignments are an important connection between the home and school. The amount of homework required by each teacher may be determined by a student’s ability. Study time may increase as the student advances in grade levels. Grade six students will be assigned approximately three to five assignments per night, lasting a total of 60 minutes. Grade seven students will have approximately 90 minutes of homework/study time per night. At BIS, the philosophy is that homework is practice towards achieving content mastery. Students will receive a score representing the percentage of homework completed. A daily homework assignment book is provided to all students. Students are required to use this assignment book daily. The school district's detailed homework policy is available to any parent upon request.

Lost and Found

A lost and found collection area is located in the BIS cafeteria and can be checked by students, with teacher permission, between class periods, during lunch, or after school.

School Cancellation

A decision to delay or cancel school is made by 6:00 a.m. Several local radio stations cover school cancellations including WCOD (106.1 FM), WPXC (102.9 FM), WQRC (99.9 FM), and WXTK (95.1 FM). In addition, WHDH (Channel 7) and WBZ (Channel 4) television stations are notified of any delays or cancellations.

Staying After School or Change of Plans (may be different during the 2020-2021 school year due to Hybrid/Remote learning)

If your child is staying after school for detention, makeup work, or teacher help, the parent must sign an after school permission form that is available at the front desk in the Main Office. Forms can be found on X2 or on the BIS website, and are available in Portuguese and Spanish. The student must give this form to the teacher or administrator with whom he or she is staying after school.

Student Breakfast and Lunch Programs (may be different during the 2020-2021 school year due to Hybrid/Remote learning)

Breakfast is served daily. The current cost is $1.50. Breakfast is $.30 for students who are eligible for the reduced lunch program. Lunch is $2.65 and served each day, except when a half-day schedule is in effect. Lunch is $.40 for students who are eligible for the reduced lunch program. (Prices are subject to change.)

Students arriving in the morning obtain breakfast prior to heading to homeroom. Breakfast is eaten during homeroom.

Student Grades: Report Cards/Mid-term Reports (may be different during the 2020-2021 school year due to Hybrid/Remote learning)

Report cards are issued at the end of each of the three marking periods. They should be taken home, discussed with parents, and a parent/guardian must sign the envelope. The signature indicates that the parent/guardian has seen the card. All report card envelopes must be returned to school by the deadline provided to the student by his/her homeroom teacher. BIS report card grades are reported as percentages which reflect content mastery. The data is collected from tests, essays, and/or projects. On the report card, rubrics are provided to explain how effort and behavior are assessed. If parents have any questions, they should contact their child’s guidance counselor or request a conference with the teacher or team.

Mid-term reports are brief reports sent home by the teacher at the halfway point of every marking term. These reports are used to update the student’s performance in a particular area. They must be signed by a parent and returned to the teacher as soon as possible.

Attendance

Attendance at school is vital to a student’s academic progress and success. School personnel must ensure that appropriate outreach, intervention and support are provided for students who exhibit attendance problems that may manifest themselves as truancy or patterns of unexcused absence or educational neglect. In cases of truancy, school personnel will make every effort to meet with the student and parent in order to determine needed supports and an appropriate course of action which may include, but is not limited to: parental contracts, referral for social service support, and/or referral to after-school community programs. Schools will review cases of chronic absenteeism and/or truancy and involve school counselors, teachers, nurses, and administrators in facilitating a resolution.

Regular and punctual attendance is essential for success in school. The District recognizes that parents of children attending our schools have special rights as well as responsibilities, one of which is to ensure that their children attend school regularly, in accordance with state law. Therefore, students may be excused temporarily from school attendance for the following reasons:

1. Illness or quarantine.

2. Bereavement or serious illness in family

3. Observance of major religious holidays.

A child may also be excused for other exceptional reasons with approval of the school administrator. A student’s understanding of the importance of the day-to-day-school work is an important factor in the shaping of his/her character. Parents can help their children by refusing to allow them to miss school needlessly.

Accordingly, parents will provide a written explanation for the absence and tardiness of a child. This will be required in advance for all types of absences where advance notice is possible. In instances of chronic or irregular absence reportedly due to illness, the school administration may request a physician’s statement certifying such absences to be justifiable.

The faculty and administration of Barnstable Public Schools are committed to offering a quality education to their students. School attendance is crucial to learning and will be closely monitored. Classroom participation and student/teacher interaction are fundamentally important reasons for good school attendance. While a student may make up the paperwork missed, he/she can rarely duplicate the learning experiences lost by a day’s absence. Parents, students and school personnel must do everything that they can to reinforce the importance of daily class attendance in accordance with Chapter 76, Section1 of Massachusetts General Law.

School personnel will notify a parent or guardian of the child’s absence if the school has not received notification of the absence from the parent or guardian within 3 days of the absence.

The Barnstable Public Schools, pursuant to M.G.L. c. 76, § 1B, will notify the parent or guardian of a student who has at least 5 days in which the student has missed 2 or more periods unexcused in a school year or who has missed 5 or more school days unexcused in a schoolyear. The school principal, or a designee, must make a reasonable effort to meet with the parent or guardian of a student who has 5 or more unexcused absences to develop action steps for student attendance. The action steps shall be developed jointly and agreed upon by the school principal, or a designee, the student and the student’s parent or guardian and with input from other relevant school personnel and officials from relevant public safety, health and human service, housing and nonprofit agencies.

Under M.G.L. c. 119, § 21, , a child may be eligible for “Child Requiring Assistance" services through the juvenile court system if the child: repeatedly runs away from the home of a parent or legal guardian; repeatedly fails to obey the lawful and reasonable commands of a parent or legal guardian, thereby interfering with the parent's or legal guardian's ability to adequately care for and protect the child; repeatedly fails to obey lawful and reasonable school regulations; or is “habitually truant. ” A school aged child is “habitually truant” when not otherwise excused from attendance in accordance with lawful and reasonable school regulations, will fully fails to attend school for more than 8 school days in a quarter. The school can assist parents with pursuing “CRA” services and supports.

Under Chapter 119, section 51A of the Massachusetts General Laws, a report can be filed on behalf of a child under the age of eighteen for educational neglect if a child is not attending school on a regular basis. This report of suspected Child Abuse or Neglect, commonly referred to as a 51A, is filed with the Department of Children and Family Services. By law, school personnel are mandated reporters.

Permanent Withdrawal

Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 76, § 18, any student (16 years or older) who is withdrawing from school prior to graduation must obtain a withdrawal form from their house office. No student shall be considered to have permanently left the school district unless an administrator from the school or school district has sent notice within a period of five (5) days from the student’s five (5) consecutive absence to the parent or guardian of such student in both the primary language of such parent or guardian and English, stating that such student and his parent or guardian may meet with the school committee or its designated representatives prior to the student permanently leaving school, within ten days after the sending of the notice. The time for meeting may be extended at the request of the parent or guardian and with consent of the school committee or its designated representatives, provided no extension shall be for longer than fourteen days. Such meeting shall be for the purpose of discussing the reasons for the student permanently leaving school and alternative educational or other placements. M.G.L. c. 76, § 18

Arrival at School

No student should arrive at school before 7:50 AM, which is the official start time for Barnstable Intermediate School. At this time, they are to report directly to their homerooms. No child is allowed on the school grounds after school without permission from a teacher or with parental permission for after school activities.

Absences

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Law (Chapter 76, Sec.1) requires that students are to attend school each day it is in session. The Commonwealth considers a student’s rate of absenteeism excessive if a child exceeds 7 days absence or is tardy 14 times over a six-month period. Good attendance habits and positive work habits are developed at an early age. Therefore, we urge all parents to plan family trips and outings around the school calendar. The school calendar is printed at the beginning of this Student/Parent Handbook.

Attendance Expectations

• Parents are requested to call school on the day a student is absent.

• If we do not receive notification of a student’s absence, a call via an automated calling system will be made to verify absence.

• When a student is absent from school, that student is required to bring in a note, signed by the parent, that explains the reason for the absence.

• Excused absences occur when notes from medical professionals are submitted to the main office on return to school.

• At ten (10) absences (excused or unexcused), a proactive attendance meeting may be scheduled with the grade level administrator or a CRA (Child Requiring Assistance) meeting may be scheduled with the Probation Juvenile Court Officer, the Court Social Worker for DCF, the student, the parent or guardian, if absences continue to accrue.

• School Truant CRA may be filed at the seventh absence. Students with more than seven unexcused absences will attend the scheduled monthly Saturday School.

• Students who miss an excessive number of days of school for any reason may be considered for retention.

Tardiness or Late Arrivals

Students who arrive in homeroom after the start of school will be considered tardy and must get a pass from the receptionist at the main office. Neither missing the bus nor oversleeping is an excused reason for tardiness.

• Tardiness will be recorded as “unexcused” unless a physician’s note or court notice is submitted. All other tardies will be considered unexcused.

• Parents will be notified by telephone or in writing when students accumulate four (4) days of unexcused tardies. Students with 5 or more tardies in a month will attend the scheduled monthly Saturday school.

• Upon ten (10) unexcused tardies, a letter will be issued to parents and that they will be contacted to schedule a meeting with the grade level administrator.

• If tardiness continues to be an issue after meeting with the grade level administrator a CRA petition may be filed with the court.

Dismissal

A written note is required if parents wish to dismiss their child prior to the normal dismissal time. The child must give the note to the receptionist during morning homeroom. The receptionist will then give the student a dismissal pass for the appropriate time. The student will be responsible for showing the pass to the teacher and coming to the Main Office for pick up. If the student returns to school on the same day, the student should check in at the front desk and return to the appropriate class with a pass. Students who do not feel well do not dismiss themselves. Any student who does not feel well should ask a teacher for permission to report to the Health Office. The Health Office Staff will determine if there is a need for dismissal. If so, a parent or guardian will be contacted.

Extended Leave of Absence

Parents must notify the principal’s office at least one week prior to an extended leave of absence for their student. A Student Leave of Absence Form must be submitted at this time. These absences will be recorded as unexcused. All schools have been directed to withdraw any student who has missed 10 or more consecutive days of school. This does not apply to students who are absent due to illness. This also applies to students who have been absent and with whom we have had no contact from their families explaining the absences. At the seventh consecutive day of absence, a letter from the school counseling department will be sent home. Students with unexcused absences may be withdrawn.