Links and Documents

Classroom Rules, Procedures, & Expectations

Respect yourself and others at all times in actions and words.
Respect the property of the school and others in your school community.
Respect the differences of other.
Respect the learning community by keeping all electronic equipment off and away during school hours.
Be responsible and punctual to attend classes.
Assume responsibility for your work and behaviors and come prepared for class.
Raise your hand and please wait to be called upon.
Follow directions the first time they are given.
Do not work on homework/projects for other classes. Materials will be confiscated.
Observe all rules in Code of Conduct handbook for the School.
Have a positive attitude and” believe you can and you’re halfway there”.
Be respectful of your teacher, other adults in the classroom, and your classmates.

General Rules

No throwing anything in the classroom or at another individual.
No sleeping, putting ones head down on a desk or in your arms, or sitting at ones desk with your eyes closed.
Students should get items from their lockers, utilize the restrooms, and fill your water bottles before or after class.
Your attendance in this class is as important as any other class. An emergency situation would be the only reason you would be able to not attend this class, if you are in school.
If you are absent from school, you are still required to complete class assignments, homework, quizzes or tests.
Daily agenda will be posted which will state the class warm up. Please settle in and begin the warm up.

Classroom Procedures

Enter the classroom quietly and on-time. Check the Smart Board for the Warm Up assignment of the day and quietly begin working.
If you complete an assignment before the rest of the class have finished, please check with your teacher for further direction.
Bring your class supplies (notebook, workbook, paper, materials, handouts, and pen/pencils) to every class.
In the case of emergency alert signal, follow the directions of the instructor in an orderly fashion. If we are to go outside, everyone in this class must stay together and with their teacher until we are given instruction to return to the building and our classroom. Attendance will be taken outside and again inside the classroom. Any student not present when attendance is taken, will face consequences.
When there are interruptions within our class by someone visiting our classroom, the intercom system, or announcements, etc., all students are to remain quiet and on-task.
When you are absent, you are responsible for all missed work which will be due within five school days. Shortly, I will have my Teacher Webpage; which will instruct you on what assignments you are responsible to complete. Until the webpage is complete, you can check with the instructor or a classmate for direction.
Cell phones, listening to music, and all unauthorized electronics as well as having unauthorized tabs open in a computer, will result in serious consequences.
All students will remain in their seat until the dismissal bell rings. There will be no waiting at the door to be dismissed.
All students are required to return all learning materials to their proper places before leaving the class at the end of the period.
All students will remain on task at all times. If you complete an assignment before the end of class, ask the instructor what you should do next.
If you are not certain how to do something, please feel free to ask the instructor. Emails are also acceptable, but do make use of class time if possible.

Disciplinary Action

The goal of any disciplinary action is to restore students to safety, and return students successfully to the academic environment. Parents are notified of any potential disciplinary action and will be involved as partners in the process, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

Name on board, which serves as your one and only warning and I will contact your parents to information of your behavior and request assistance to modify your future behavior.

Classroom Consequences Protocol:

Students can be assigned positive or negatives consequences on the classroom level, which is informal, and can include a verbal warning, parent phone calls, parent meetings, and teacher detentions (either during lunch or after school). In each case, I will contact your parents to inform of conflict and to request assistance to modify future behavior. Any after-school consequence requires 24 hours notice to parents or guardians. If a student skips an after-school detention, they will be referred by the teacher for office consequence, which generally results in an office detention.

Office Consequences Protocol

After I have tried a variety of strategies for working with a student or if a student’s behavior warrants it, an administrator may be asked to intervene. This intervention is called an office referral. Once a student is referred to the office, the Principal, Assistant Principal or a designee may assign a consequence including but not limited to an office detention. Generally, students who are referred out of class for will earn an office detention. If the need arises to address your behaviors a second time, you will be removed from the classroom and sent to the office where they will provide an after school detention. Failure to report for an afterschool detention automatically increases consequences to the next level. Repeated disruptive actions will warrant a parent meeting with the Principal and myself, which may result in removing you from the class entirely.

Behavioral Expectations

Student Code of Cooperation

School Values: Respect and Responsibility

Respect: Respect yourself and others. If you are respectful, then you will: be kind and considerate to everyone; be prepared to help others; understand, appreciate and accept the differences among all of us; respect the property of others and the school building; and behave properly at all times.

Responsibility: Assume responsibility for your own belongings; for your homework; for being prepared for class work and assessments; for being in control of your actions; for being honest.

Following these values will help each student to reach the level of independence that becomes so important at this age. It will also engender a positive school climate in which everyone has the opportunity to reach his/her academic potential, develop new friendships, and become self-confident in a safe environment. In following these values, there are some school expectations that help us to function as a community and allow students and teachers to feel comfortable in the school. These school expectations will be adhered to at all school events as well as during the school day.

Expectation 1: Respect yourself and others.
Expectation 2: Assume responsibility for your work and your behavior.
Expectation 3: Be responsible for attending all classes and arriving on time ready to learn.
Expectation 4: Respect the property of school and of others in the school community.
Expectation 5: Respect the differences of other members of the NHS Community.
Expectation 6: Respect the learning community by keeping all electronic equipment off and away during school hours.

Use of Phones: No phone calls are to be made during school hours without permission of school personnel. The phones in the office are to be used only in the case of an emergency. Students who do not have a pass to the office from a teacher and who attempt to call home may be subject to disciplinary action.

Electronic Devices: Electronic devices and equipment (including but not limited to cell phones, iPods, Mp-3 players, Blackberry devices, iPhones, hand-held video-game systems, CD and/or DVD players, laser pointers, voice recorders, camcorders, cameras, portable radios or televisions, headphones, and beepers and their accessories) are to be turned off and stored out-of-sight upon entering the building. Cell phones and electronic devices may not be used before or after school in the building. Students needing to call home during this time should report to the main office to call from the school phone. It is strongly suggested that students, as well as parent(s)/guardian(s), be aware of some of the school’s concerns with regard to their use including: text messaging, emailing, Instagram, cheating (See Cheating and Plagiarism), taking photographs, and recording video. None of these actions are sanctioned by the school and no form of photography or video recording is permitted on school property, or on school-provided transportation. Owners of cell phones should be cognizant of the legal difficulties that improper use can present. Students found using any of the aforementioned electronic devices in violation of this policy will be subject to confiscation as well as potential disciplinary action: - First offense: Item confiscated and returned to student at the end of the school day - Second offense: Item confiscated and parent/guardian is required to retrieve the item Any subsequent offenses or non-sanctioned use of any electronic device by a student will be subject to additional disciplinary measures, starting with a mandatory parent meeting. It should also be noted that the school is not in any way responsible for lost or stolen property; therefore, it is our expectation that students who find items of value, such as electronic devices, return them to the office immediately. Failure to do so will subject a student to the disciplinary consequences associated with being in possession of stolen property. Please note that in constant connectivity can be disruptive to a student’s academic and physical health. Students are responsible for any content that is on any device they bring to school, should content be shared with another student. Students found in possession of a phone which is found to contain illegal images or inappropriate/bullying messages could be subject to school and/or legal consequences under state laws. No student should ever take a picture of someone without the person’s permission.

Computer Use: Students must comply with the “RESPONSIBLE USE POLICY” of Norwood Public Schools, which can be found at the end of this handbook. Families and students must agree to this policy before they are able to use our computer network. This policy guides the practices used in all classrooms. As stated in this document: “If a user violates any of these provisions, his or her account will be terminated and future access could be denied.” Any student who uses a computer inappropriately may lose their network access at the discretion of the Directory of Technology and the Principal. Additional consequences may include detention or suspension depending on the nature of the incident in accordance with the Norton High School’s disciplinary code.

Disciplinary Actions: The goal of any disciplinary action is to restore students to safety and return students successfully to the academic environment. Parents will be notified of any potential disciplinary action and will be involved as partners in the process, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

I strive to offer a positive behavioral system which student’s choices are met with consequences, noting that good choices often lead to positive consequences, while poor choices often lead to negative consequences. There are many levels of potential disciplinary outcomes for students and students will be assigned consequences in a progressive manner, provided such outcomes are in compliance with state law.

Classroom Consequences Protocol

Students can be assigned positive or negatives consequences on the classroom level, which is informal, and can include parent phone calls, parent meetings and teacher detentions (either during lunch or after school). In this case, the teacher is responsible for making contact with the parent prior to assessing the consequences. Any after-school consequence requires 24 hours notice to parents or guardians.

If a student skips an after-school detention, they will be referred by the teacher for office consequence, which generally results in an office detention.

Office Consequences Protocol

After teachers have tried a variety of strategies for working with a student or if a student’s behavior warrants it, an administrator may be asked to intervene. This intervention is called an office referral. Once a student is referred to the office, the Principal, Assistant Principal or a designee may assign a consequence including but not limited to an office detention. Generally, students who are referred out of class for will earn an office detention.

Office Lunch Detention. Lunch detention takes place during a student’s lunch period. The student will go directly to the lunch line and then report to the Vice Principal’s office where they will be supervised by the vice principal or his or her designee (usually the in-school suspension monitor). Office lunch detention is generally reserved for students with multiple tardies, or for students who fail to meet lunchroom expectations, but may be used as a consequence for other disciplinary events at the discretion of the principal or vice principals. Parents will be notified via telephone if an office detention is assigned.

Office Detention. Office Detention takes place after school and is supervised by a rotation of the school’s faculty. Students are expected to complete school work quietly during this time. At the discretion of the principal or vice principal, a student may be allowed to serve office detention receiving direct instructional aid from a staff member, usually at the request of that staff member. After school detentions are held from 2:05 – 3:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday in the in-school suspension room.

Each student will do his/her homework or read silently.
Students may not talk, engage in games or violate any accepted school guideline.
No visitors are allowed in office detention.
A 24-hour notice is given to students for all assigned teacher or office detentions. Detentions may also be held on additional afternoons with prior parent notification to arrange transportation home for the student.

Detention takes priority over extra-curricular activities. If a student skips an after-school detention parents will be notified and the consequence will be reassigned for a different date. Any after-school consequence requires 24 hours notice to parents or guardians. Skipping an after-school consequence more than once will result in a student being referred to the in-school suspension protocol.

Suspension Protocol. Suspension from classes means that a student has behaved in a manner that has caused the principal or assistant principal to suspend the student’s right to participate in the educational process for part of a day, one full day, or sometimes even longer. Suspension is given for those situations where the student has shown, by his/her behavior, the need to be separated from the rest of the school population, in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, uses a rubric to evaluate the following context when considering a suspension from school:

Disrupts teaching or learning for self or others;
Causes significant disorder in the school day; and/or
Invades the rights of others;
In all cases, the Principal or his or her designee will consider mitigating factors, as well as whether the student is entitled to services through an Individualized Educational Program or a 504 Plan.

The Principal or his or her designee will also consider a student’s willingness to take responsibility for an action when deciding on consequences. The rubric is including the Parent/Guardian guide to the disciplinary procedures. The rubric generates a recommended length of suspension, which is then considered during the due process phase of a potential suspension, leading to a finalized suspension after the hearing process. The Principal retains the right and responsibility to all students and staff to issue penalties for acts not stated herein, to examine any mitigating factors that - in the Principal’s judgment - should be considered, and to utilize penalties stated herein as guidelines (which may be adjusted to reflect the seriousness of the conduct in question). Furthermore, though progressive discipline is generally used, the Principal reserves the right to apply all provisions of this handbook consistent with what he/she determines to be in the best interest of the learning environment and educational processes in the school.