STUDENT HANDBOOK
Announcements– Morning announcements will be broadcast via the school’s closed circuit television. Afternoon announcements will be broadcast during the last five minutes of the day via the P.A. system. It is important that students are quiet and listen during these times.
~Stay Focused~
Assemblies – Reward assemblies may be attended by students based on the criteria for that particular assembly. All students will be invited to attend information assemblies.
~Act Responsibly~
Attendance –Students are expected to attend school all 180 days. Only nine (9) days per quarter may be considered excused without a doctor’s note. Absences and tardies from school may be excused for the following reasons: religious holiday, illness, academic event, subpoena, doctor appointment, or school board activity. In the event of an absence, please call the attendance line at 741-3344 (ext. 8) before 9:30 a.m. It is the responsiblilty of the student to make up any work that has been missed within the time allotted. Upon return, it is necessary to bring a note to the attendance clerk to get an admit slip to class. If it is necessary to take a student out of class during the school day, please send a note or call, and give the school at least 30 minutes notice. Students are requried to attend at least three hours of the school day to be considered in attendance. Tardies – If a student is late to school, a parent needs to come into the office and sign the student in. Constant tardies will result in disciplinary action.
~Act Responsibly~
Athletics – There will be four sport seasons. Each season will coincide with a grading quarter. For each sport there will be a boys’ and girls’ team.
Basketball,Cross Country, Volleyball, Soccer
+All sports will follow the rules and regulations of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA). All students enrolled in the school are eligible if they meet the following criteria:
*Have a current physical examination on file with the school
*Maintain a 2.0 GPA
*Receive no more than one 3 in citizenship on previous quarter’s report card
*Be 15.9 years of age or younger
~S.O.A.R.~
Awards - Renaissance Awards are presented at the end of each marking period to students who earn a 3.0 GPA, receive no “D’s” or “Fs” or have any out-of-school suspensions, and do not receive any “3s” in Citizenship.
~S.O.A.R.~
ID Badges - Students will be issued ID Badges during the first week of school. After that date, any new student will receive his/her ID Badge from the Media Specialist in the Media Center. ID Badges are issued to all students to help promote safety and efficiency. They must be worn around the neck at all times and left unaltered. They are used to purchase lunch and check out books in the Media Center. Replacement cost is $5.00.
~Act Responsibly~
Behavior – School-wide Expectations:
Stay Focused, Organized, Act Responsibly, Respect All
S.O.A.R. BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
- Everyone will interact with one another in a respectful manner
- Everyone will keep hands, feet, and objects to themselves
- Everyone will refrain from using profanity
- Everyone will keep gossiping off campus
- Everyone will respect one another’s personal space
Bicycle Rules - Bicycles are to be parked in the bike rack and locked to the center support bar. Walk bikes on and off campus. Once bike riders have come on campus, they may not leave campus without permission from an administrator. Bikes are not to be left overnight. By Florida law, students are to wear helmets. No motorized vehicles are allowed to be ridden/driven to school by students.
~Respect All~
Bullying (Zero Tolerance) - Bullying typically consists of direct behaviors such as teasing, taunting, threatening, hitting, and stealing, that are initiated by one or more students against a victim or victims. In addition to direct attacks, bullying may also be indirect, such as spreading rumors that cause victims to be socially isolated through intentional exclusion. Bullies will be disciplined to ensure that all students can learn in a safe and fear-free environment. The aggressor will attend the Bully Program with the Resource Officer.
~Respect All~
Bus Information - Transportation Office—708-8800 X1130. Manatee County Schools offer bus service for qualifying students at Johnson Middle School. While free public school bus transportation is available to qualifying students, all students are required to abide by all school transportation rules, regulations and policies. Non-compliance will result in suspension of bus riding privileges as determined by the school discipline policy. When students choose to violate school bus rules and regulations, they will receive a bus referral as determined by the bus driver. Excessive disciplinary bus problems (over five bus referrals) may result in termination of bus riding privileges. **In some situations, police and/or school action may be taken. Parents are responsible for their children’s safety to and from the bus stop or to and from school if they do not ride the bus. This includes seeing them board the bus to ride to school or seeing them enter the school property if they do not ride the bus. The school district provides transportation for students who live more than two miles from school and is responsible for their safety while on the bus.
~S.O.A.R~
Cafeteria Expectations –
| Stay Focused | Remain Seated |
| Organized | Have Proper I.D. Ready |
| Act Responsibly | Clean Your Area |
| Respect All | Stay In Your Place In Line |
S.O.A.R. LUNCH EXPECTATIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
- Students are to remain in the cafeteria or courtyard until their teacher picks them up
- Students are to report back to class with their teacher
Cell Phones - Cell phones and other electronic devices shall not be used during the student day within the perimeter of the school. All electronic devices are to be turned off at all times, and they should be kept out of sight in a book bag, purse, or pocket. If any electronic devices are found to be in use, they will be confiscated and secured in the front office. These items must be picked up by a parent or guardian and will not be released for 24 hours following confiscation. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen contraband.
~Act Responsibly~
Classroom Expectations -
| Stay Focused | Work From Bell To Bell |
| Organized | Be Prepared For Class |
| Act Responsibly | Wear I.D. At All Times |
| Respect All | Use Proper Manners |
S.O.A.R. CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
- IDs will be worn at all times!
*All teachers will check for IDs as students enter each class.
If a student is not wearing his/her ID, 1st period teachers will send students to the office to get a lunch detention. This slip will be the student’s ID for the day.
- Students must be in their seat and quiet during morning and afternoon announcements.
- Students will remain in class during the first and last 10 minutes of each class.
*No passes will be issued after this time unless it is an emergency
- All students will enter the classroom quietly and organize themselves for class
(ex. sharpen pencils, take out needed supplies, and begin bellwork).
- Students must remain seated during direct instruction.
- Students are expected to work from bell to bell.
- All students must have a pass to exit class.
- All students must sign-out when they leave during class then sign back in when they
return.
- Students are not allowed to purchase food or drinks during class.
- Agendas are to be used for communication between parents and teachers and to record
homework.
~S.O.A.R.~
Clinic - Nurses may be reached at: 741-3344 X2025
Clinic Rules -
1. You must have a pass from your teacher before going to the clinic.
2. After 15 minutes in the clinic, you must return to class or call your parents/guardian to pick you up.
3. NO over the counter medications will be administered to students without a doctor’s prescription. Medications must be delivered by a parent in the container in which it was purchased, and an authorization form must be completed and signed by the parent. The label must have the student’s name, name of medication, physician’s name, and dosage amount. When medication is discontinued or the end of the school year has arrived, the medication must be taken home or it will be destroyed.
4. Any student with a temperature of 101 degrees or above, and any student who has vomited, will be sent home.
~Act Responsibly~
Clubs-
Breakfast Club (YFC Campus Life) meets weekly at JMS. It is a time for singing, games, sharing and making friends.
Eagle Watch is a youth crime watch group which was designed to encourage students to become a unique group of leaders developing self-discipline in performing their duties as crime watch observers. Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA to be a member of Eagle Watch. Deputy Davis is the sponsor of this program and can be reached at extension 2020.
History Club engages students in the study of local history through the study of primary sources, historic sites, and museums in our community.
Science Club is a club in which students explore different areas of science through having fun. If you enjoy science and want to have fun with other students who enjoy science, come join us!
Student Council is an organization developed to provide leadership for the school through students that have exhibited outstanding leadership. Teacher recommendation is necessary.
Technology Students Association (TSA) is a nationally recognized student organization. It is designed to capitalize on the individual’s potential for reasoning and problem solving, for imagining and creating, and for constructing and expression through the use of tools and materials related to technology.
~S.O.A.R.~
Delivery to Students - Items delivered to students (flowers, balloons, presents, etc.) will be left in the front office to be picked up at the end of the school day.
~Stay Focused~
Detention - Students assigned after-school detention by adminstration will receive 24 hours notice, and parents will be notified by an administrator. Detention will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays for one hour after-school.
~Stay Focused~
Discipline Matrix - A discipline matrix is used to determine appropriate consequences for offenses.
~S.O.A.R.~
Dress Code – Common school attire is required. All students must wear aJohnson Middle School shirt and appropriate pants, shorts, skirts, or capris with appropriate footwear. All undershirts must be tucked in, ill-fitting pants must be worn at the waist, and sweatshirts/jackets must be either zipped or buttoned in the front so the school shirt can be seen. The school shirt must not be altered. For further clarification, see the District Student Code of Conduct.
~Stay Focused~
Field Trips - Field trips offer great opportunities for broadening the learning environment. Individual teams and grade levels plan field trips. These field trips are a privilege. Teachers/Administration may exclude a student from attending for the following reasons: academics, citizenship, or disciplinary referrals.
~S.O.A.R.~
Fire Drills – Students must follow all faculty/staff directions during fire drills and all other emergency situations. ~S.O.A.R.~
Grades - Report cards will be mailed home at the end of the quarter. The Manatee County grading scale is as follows:
A - (90 - 100) Outstanding Progress
B - (80 - 89) Above Average Progress
C - (70 - 79) Average Progress
D - (60 - 69) Lowest Acceptable Progress
F - (0 - 59) Failure
I - Incomplete
Citizenship grades are as follows:
1 - Excellent; 2 - Average; 3 - Unsatisfactory.
Progress reports are issued to students in the middle of each quarter.
~S.O.A.R.~
Guidance Services - The counseling staff provides many services to the school in addition to one-on-one student counseling. Students may ask a teacher to write a pass to the guidance office in an emergency. It is very important that changes in address or telephone numbers be reported to the guidance department as soon as possible.
~S.O.A.R.~
Gum/Candy - Gum and candy are not permitted on campus.
Hallway Expectations - Students must be accounted for at all times. Therefore, a strict hallway pass procedure is in effect. Any student in the halls during classroom time must be accompanied with an official pass or student planner containing a hall pass from his/her current teacher or face disciplinary action.
Stay Focused |
Go Directly to Class |
Organized |
Walk |
Act Responsibly |
You Must Have a Pass to Leave During Class |
Respect All |
Keep Hands, Feet and Objects to Yourself |
Homework – Homework is given to benefit the student and will be graded. Requests by parents for homework will be coordinated with the guidance office, and require 24-hour advance notice. Homework may be picked up in the counseling office.
~S.O.A.R.~
In-School Suspension – Students will be assigned to ISS by administration if inappropriate behavior warrants.
~Act Responsibly~
Leaving School - IDs will be checked. If a student has an appointment, a note must be brought to the front office before school on the day of his/her appointment. Students are not allowed to leave the school unless a parent/guardian has signed-out the student on the School Check-In/Out system. A student who requests permission to leave school because of illness must have a clinic pass from a teacher before going to the clinic.
~Organized~
Lost & Found - The Lost & Found is located in the front office.
~Organized~
Lunch Program- Free and Reduced Lunch applications will be mailed home over the summer. State and Federal guidelines will determine eligibility for free or reduced lunch. Prices are set by the school district and will be announced at the beginning of each year.
~S.O.A.R.~
Lunch Detention – Students will not be allowed to purchase extra items beyond a regular lunch and will eat in a specific room, not in the cafeteria.
~S.O.A.R.~
Media Center- The Media Center is the center for recreational reading and research at Johnson Middle School. Multimedia workstations with internet access are available for student use, as well as scanners, digital cameras, camcorders, i Books, i movies and Windows Movie Maker 2. Students may borrow books for a three-week period, renewing them as the need arises. Students are restricted to two books unless they are involved in a research project. The Media Center opens for student use at 8:45 a.m. daily, and closes at 3:45 p.m. unless prior arrangements are made with the media specialist.
~S.O.A.R.~
Planners – Students are expected to carry planners with them at all times. Parents and teachers are encouraged to use planners to communicate. Lost or destroyed planners must be replaced at a cost of $5.00.
~Organized~
Referrals - Student referrals are used to document disciplinary infractions and communicate with parents. Students will report directly to the front office. All possible infractions per referral will be compared to the Discipline Matrix as a guide for the appropriate consequence.
~Act Responsibly~
Registration - New students must have the following before they can be registered:
- If you have attended a school in Florida, you will need a birth certificate, proof of residence,
withdrawal grades, and (for 7th graders) Hepatitis B immunization.
- If you have never attended a school in Florida, you will need a Florida physical, birth certificate,
withdrawal grades, and a copy of shot records and proof of address.
~Organized~
Restroom Expectations –
Stay Focused |
Be Quick |
Organized |
Wash Hands |
Act Responsibly |
Keep Area Clean |
Respect All |
Use Facilities and Materials Properly |
SAC (School Advisory Council) The main function of the School Advisory Council of Johnson Middle School is to approve and participate in the goals of the school. SAC consists of the following representative areas: parents/guardians, community leaders, administrators, instructional staff, non-instructional staff and students. Meetings are held monthly in the multipurpose room.
~S.O.A.R.~
Saturday School- Saturday School is held twice a month from 8:00-10:00 a.m. Parents will be notified in writing when Saturday School has been assigned. Tutoring will be given while students are in attendance. Late arrivals may be required to serve extra time at the following Saturday School date, or be disqualified and considered truant from Saturday School, resulting in further disciplinary action.
~Act Responsibly~
Schedule Changes Guidelines - Students cannot be reassigned from one teacher to another because of a “personality conflict.” If a student has a conflict with another student in that class, he/she needs to seek help from an assistant principal or guidance counselor. We do not believe that moving a student for this reason will solve the problem. A schedule change will not be done. *All schedule changes must be authorized by administration.
~Stay Focused~
School Functions- Students must follow school rules be accompanied by a parent or guardian to any school function that occurs on campus after normal school hours.
~S.O.A.R.~
School Resource Officer (SRO) - One full-time deputy sheriff is on the staff. He/she counsels students and parents. The deputy gives talks on drugs, violence, and abuse, and he/she is the advisor of the Eagle Watch Club, Disciplinary Interactive Study Hall (DISH), and the Bully Program.
~Respect All~
School-wide Reward System - Eagle Bucks will be given to students intermittently when they exhibit the S.O.A.R. expectations. Students may “spend” their Eagle Bucks in a variety of ways. Golden Eagle Bucks will be given to parents to share with their child when parents participate in school functions (SAC, Back to School Night, school activities, parent conferences, volunteering, field trips, etc.).
~S.O.A.R.~
Skateboards - Skateboards must be walked on and off campus. They are to be stored in the front office for the day, and not carried from class to class.
~Stay Focused~
Student Pickup - The east driveway/parking lot is for student drop-off and pick-up. Vehicles may line up in two lanes when necessary, and students are monitored while crossing to their vehicles.
~Respect All~
Supervision- The School Board of Manatee County is not reponsible for the supervision of children 30 minutes after school activites end to 30 minutes before activities begin the following day. During this time parents should not rely on additional supervision.
Tardiness - Students who are tardy to school are to report to the office to sign-in and receive a tardy/admit slip to class. Students have three minutes passing time between classes. Students must be in class when the tardy bell rings. Should another teacher keep a student after class, he/she must obtain a pass from that teacher.
~Act Responsibly~
Technology- The use of technology is a privilege and you are responsible for using technology appropriately. Your parent or legal guardian is liable for damage you may cause to any computer, electronic devices, digital cameras, etc. Students who misuse technology will be issued a disciplinary action.
~Act Responsibly~
Telephones - The office telephones are to be used by students on an emergency basis only and with the approval of an administrator. Classroom phone use is an option of the individual teacher. The front office is closed to students after 4:00 p.m.
~Act Responsibly~
Textbooks - All students will be issued textbooks. Students are responsible for the care of assigned books. Their destruction, damage, or loss will result in a replacement fee for the loss or damages.
~Act Responsibly~
Visitors - Visitors must report to the main office, sign in at the School Check-In Desk, present a valid form a photo identification, and receive a visitor’s pass to be worn while on campus. Students are not permitted to bring friends to school for visitation during regular school hours. Those who do not sign in may be questioned by the School Resource Officer.
~Respect All~
Withdrawal/Transfer of Students- Parents must come to school to withdraw a student. They must advise the registrar of the name of the school to which the student will be transferring. All books and locks must be returned and/or fees paid, and a special form must be completed by the appropriate staff members on the day of withdrawal.
~Organized~
Parent/School Communication
Newsletter – The Eagle’s Eye Newsletter is published monthly and contains school and student activities and acheivements.
Parent Conferences – Conferences may be arranged by calling the Guidence Counselors.
Student’s last name A-L – Contact: Judy Rikard at (941) 741-3344 Ext. 2014
Student’s last name M-Z – Contact: Jennifer Bell at (941) 741-3344
Phone List – A list of Faculty and Staff telephone extensions are posted.
© 2013 Louise R. Johnson Middle School of
International Studies |