Sage Valley Middle School Student Handbook

sage valley middle School

Student Handbook

student conduct

common behavior expectations

Appropriate behavior is essential in the establishment of a positive learning environment for students and the staff at Sage Valley Middle School. Expectations for all students to follow in order to be more successful can be found below. District Policy 540 - Maintenance of Orderly Conduct

Rules & Routines

Rules and routines give students a feeling of security. Students seek the security that structure provides in the classroom, as well as in the home, because security fulfills a basic psychological need. Successful classroom management provides detailed structure in the classroom from “day one”. Teachers who provide such structure are known as Proactive Managers, whereas Reactive Managers go over rules and routines quickly and rely on punishment. Proactive Managers thoroughly teach their students appropriate behaviors conducive to learning and socialization. Rules and routines reinforce the skills that every student must have in order to be a successful learn Successful learners know how to coexist politely in a classroom, how to make the best use of their time, how to listen attentively, how to interact respectfully with classmates and teachers, and how to complete work acceptably. We will teach all students structured rules and routines that will enable your child to be a successful learner. Rules and routines allow a teacher to be a fair disciplinarian.

Building Wide Expectations

Sage Valley students are expected to act and speak appropriately while at school. Teachers will develop and explain their classroom rules and expectations to students at the beginning of each school year. These expectations will be revisited several times throughout the year. Common expectations for all students include the following:

Arrive to class prepared and on time.
Keep hands, feet and objects to oneself.
Attentive Listening
Mutual Respect (Appreciations, No Put Downs)
Appropriate Task Completion
Follow School Rules

Teachers will follow their explained discipline plan if the classroom rules and expectations are not met. If a student is referred to the administration, the following consequences may be given as a result of the student’s behavior: Warning, Detention, In-School Suspension, Out of School Detention, Community Service, Loss of Privileges as well as any other consequence deemed appropriate by administration. Students in ISS will not be eligible for any extra-curricular activity for that day. This includes assemblies, games, dances, etc. Parents will be notified by a phone call or in writing of this disciplinary action.

PBIS

Sage Valley is a PBIS school. What does this mean? This means we are moving away from a punitive based approach to discipline and moving towards a more proactive, positive approach. What does THAT mean? That means we are starting to reward our students for all the wonderful things that they do right every single day.

Drug Policy

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco Use District Policy #551:

Possession or use of any illegal substances, alcohol, vape, and tobacco.
Possession or use of any drug related paraphernalia, matches, and lighters.
Offering or sharing any medication

Consequences for the violation of the above infractions will be determined by the Administration and may include in-school suspension, home suspension, letter of apology, restitution, referral to the Board of trustees for expulsion from the Vallivue School District, referral to law enforcement, etc.

Gang activity

District Policy #549:

All gangs and gang activities, including, but not limited to, wearing, possessing, using, distributing, displaying, or selling any clothing, jewelry, emblem, badge, symbol, sign, gestures, codes, or other things which evidence membership or affiliation in any gang, are prohibited in any of the public schools in this district and at all school functions. Students who claim affiliation with or membership of a gang are issued a letter sent home stating their affiliation or membership, or a documented phone call to parents. These students will also be documented with Caldwell City Police Department and Canyon County Sheriff’s Department. These students are not allowed to wear the associated gang color in any way. Items worn to school will be confiscated and become Vallivue District property. These students will be subject to disciplinary action.

Consequences for egregious violations may be assigned at the discretion of the administration.

● 1st Violation: Student will be issued a warning.

● 2nd Violation: A parent meeting will be held and the student will be placed on a Gang Accountability Agreement. Student may also be

suspended one (1) day out of school and other action deemed necessary by the school’s administration.

● 3rd Violation: Up to three (3) days out of school suspension.

● 4th Violation: Up to five (5) days out of school suspension. The student will be referred to the Vallivue School District Discipline Review Committee.

HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, AND BULLYING POLICY

(See District Policy 506, 506.5)

It is the policy of this District to maintain a safe school environment for all students while attending school, riding the school bus, and attending district-sponsored activities on school premises or at other locations. Harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying, regardless of the specific nature of the students' behavior, is disruptive to a safe school environment and will not be tolerated.

Students attending district schools are prohibited from engaging in the following behaviors:

Physical abuse against a student, including, but not limited to hitting, pushing, tripping, kicking, blocking, or restraining another's movement; sexual misconduct, causing damage to another's clothing or possessions; and taking another's belongings.
Verbal abuse against a student, including, but not limited to, name calling, threatening, sexual misconduct, taunting, and malicious teasing.
Psychological abuse against a student, including, but not limited to, spreading harmful or inappropriate rumors regarding another, drawing inappropriate pictures or writing inappropriate statements regarding another, and intentionally excluding another from groups, or similar activities.
Cyber-bullying, including, but not limited to, using any electronic communication device to convey a message in any format (audio or video, text, graphics, photographs, or any combination thereof) that intimidates, harasses, or otherwise intended to harm another individual.
Harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying, including any intentional gesture or any intentional written, verbal, or physical acts or threats, against another student.
Conspiring with another individual to commit any acts of harassment or intimidation.

The prohibition extends not only to actions taking place on school grounds but also actions originating at a remote location and carried out via social media, or any technology where electronic communication can occur.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Students who engage in harassment, intimidation, or bullying will be disciplined as determined to be appropriate, up to and including suspension and/or expulsion and referral to law enforcement.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities. Vallivue's Title IX policy states that: No person in the Vallivue School District shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. Any student who feels that he or she has been discriminated against or has been a victim of sexual harassment at school should immediately contact a school administrator and inform the administrator of the situation.

iTEMS NOT ALLOWED ON CAMPUS

Items deemed as a disruption to the educational process may be confiscated by school administration. These items include but are not limited to the following:

Skateboards, rollerblades and or hoverboards (If you ride a bicycle, bicycles are to be parked in the bike rack provided immediately upon entrance to school grounds. Please bring your own bike lock. The school is not responsible for theft or damage.)
Energy Drinks
Sharpies and/or permanent markers of any kind
Perfumes, body sprays, colognes
Beverages (only water allowed in clear water bottles) - Lunch beverages should be in unopened container

No Squirt-top water bottles

Rubber-bands or liquid white-out
GUM: is allowed unless teachers/administration see that it is not used appropriately chewing in a distracting manner, popping it loudly, sticking it on desks, tables, chairs, floors, books etc…). Individual teachers may prohibit gum in their classrooms.

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