Student
Handbook
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
FORM
My child and I
have received a copy of the Student Handbook and the Student Code of Conduct
for 2007-2008. I understand that the
handbook contains information that my child and I may need during the school
year and that all students will be held accountable for their behavior and will
be subjected to the disciplinary consequences outlined in the code. The
"Certain information about District
students is considered directory information and will be released to anyone who
follows the procedures for requesting the information unless the parent or
guardian objects to the release of the directory information about the
student. If you do not want Hereford ISD
to disclose directory information from your child's education records without
your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing by September
10, 2007 / or within ten school days of your child’s first day of instruction
for this school year.
To be in compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001, the District will release to military recruiters and institutions of
higher education, upon request, the name, address, and telephone listing of
your child, unless you direct the District not to release this information
without prior written consent, as indicated below.
The District
o may / o may not release my
child’s name, address, and
telephone listing
to military recruiters and institutions of higher education
upon their
request, without my prior written consent.
Except as noted below (under EXCEPTIONS), I direct the
District not to release to
any third party the following information without my prior
written consent. I have
marked through the items I do not want released.
EXCEPTIONS
For limited school-sponsored purposes (student
recognition activities, yearbook or
student newspaper, printed programs for
extracurricular activities, news releases to
local media), the District has my permission to
release the following information. I
have marked through the items I do not want released.
Printed name of student:
Signature
of student:
Signature
of parent/guardian: date:
*These pages are included in the student’s
registration information.
Parent/guardian’s signature may be obtained as a part of the
registration process.
Nondiscrimination
Hereford
I.S.D. does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national
origin, sex, or disability in providing education services, activities, and
programs, including vocational programs, in accordance with Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of
1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
The
following District staff members have been designated to coordinate compliance
with these requirements:
·
Title IX
Coordinator for concerns regarding sex discrimination:
Superintendent of Schools
·
Section 504
Coordinator for concerns regarding disability discrimination:
Director of Special Education
Sin Discriminación
El
Distrito Escolar Independiente de Hereford no diferencia en base a la raza,
religión, colore, el origin nacional, sexo, o invalidez proporcionando
educación reparan, actividades, y programas, incluyendo programas
profesionales, de acuerdo con el Título VI del Acto de los Derechos Civil
de 1964, como enmendó; Título IX de las Enmendaduras Educativas de
1972; y Sección 504 del Acto de la Rehabilitación de 1973, como
enmendó.
Los
miembros
·
Coordinador de
Título IX par alas preocupaciones con respecto a la discriminación
Superintendente de las Escuelas
·
Coordinador de
Sección de 504 para las preocupaciones con respecto a la discriminación
de invalidez:
Director de la Educación Especial
Student
Handbook
PREFACE
To Students and Parents:
Welcome to school year 2007-2008! Teachers and other school staff members want
this year to be successful for each child, with many interesting learning
experiences. For this to happen, we all
have to work together: students, parents, and teachers. This Student Handbook is designed to help us
do this.
The Hereford Independent School District Student
Handbook contains information that you are likely to need during the school
year. The DISTRICT handbook is divided into three sections:
We have attempted to make the language as informal
as possible, particularly in the first two sections; however, in parts of the
handbook please be aware that the term “the student’s parent” is used to refer
to the parent, legal guardian, or other person who has agreed to assume
school-related responsibility for a student.
Both students and parents also need to be familiar
with the Hereford Independent School District’s Student Code of Conduct, to
find the consequences for inappropriate behavior. The Student Code of Conduct is required by
state law and is intended to promote school safety and an atmosphere for
learning. This is a separate document
sent home to parents and posted at www.herefordisd.net and available on each
campus.
The Student Handbook is designed to support Board
policy and the Student Code of Conduct that is adopted by the Board. Please be aware that the handbook is updated
annually, while policy adoption and revision takes place throughout the
calendar year. Changes in policy that
affect Student Handbook provisions will be made available to students and
parents through newsletters and other communications.
In case of conflict between Board policy or the
Student Code of Conduct and any provisions of student handbooks, the provisions
of Board policy or the Student Code of Conduct that were most recently adopted
by the Board are to be followed.
Please note that references to alphabetical policy
codes are included so that parents can refer to current policy. A copy of the District’s Policy Manual is
available in the school office or on-line at the following web site – www.tasb.org/policy/pol/private/059901/
SECTION I: IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
This section of the Hereford Independent School
District Student Handbook includes information on topics of particular interest
to you as a parent, such as:
We strongly recommend that you review the entire
handbook with your child and keep it as a reference during this school year. If you or your child has questions about any
of the material in this handbook, please contact a teacher, the counselor, or
the principal.
YOUR
INVOLVEMENT AS A PARENT
A child’s education succeeds best when there is a
strong partnership between home and school, a partnership that thrives on
communication. Your involvement in this
partnership may include:
Your child will not be
required to participate without parental consent in any survey, analysis, or
evaluation – funded in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Education –
that concerns:
Political affiliations; mental
and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student or family;
sexual behavior and attitudes; illegal, antisocial, self-incriminating, and
demeaning behavior; criticism of other individuals with whom the student or the
student’s family has a close family relationship; relationships privileged
under law, such as relationships with lawyers, physicians, and ministers; or income,
except when the information will be used to determine the student’s eligibility
to participate in a special program or to receive financial assistance under
such a program.
You will be able to inspect any teaching materials
used in connection with such a survey, analysis, or evaluation. For further information, see Policy EF.
·
Removing your child temporarily from the classroom, if an instructional
activity in which your child is scheduled to participate conflicts with your
religious or moral beliefs. The removal
cannot be for the purpose of avoiding a test and may not extend for an entire
semester. Further, your child must
satisfy grade-level and graduation requirements as determined by the school and
by the Texas Education Agency.
·
Becoming a school volunteer. For
further information, see Policy GKG and contact the campus principal.
·
Participating in campus parent organizations. For parent organizations, please see your
campus principal.
·
Offering to serve as a parent representative on the District-level or
campus-level planning committees assisting in the development of educational
goals and plans to improve student achievement.
For further information, see Policies at BQA and BQB, and contact the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum
and Instruction at 363-7600.
·
Attending Board
meetings to learn more about District operations, including the procedure for
addressing the Board when appropriate.
[See Policies BE and BED for more information.]
·
To request a
transfer of your child to another classroom or campus if your child has been
verified by the superintendent or designee to have been a victim of bullying as
the term is defined by Education Code 25.0341. Transportation is not provided
for a transfer to another campus. See
the assistant superintendent for information.
·
To request a
transfer of your child to attend a safe public school in the District if your
child attends school at a campus identified by TEA as persistently dangerous or
if your child was a victim of a violent criminal offense while in school or on
school grounds. See policy FDD(LOCAL).
·
To request that
your child be excused from recitation of a portion of the Declaration of
Independence. Texas law requires
students in social studies classes in grades 3–12 to recite a portion of the
text of the Declaration of Independence during Celebrate Freedom Week unless
(1) you provide a written statement requesting that your child be excused, (2)
the District determines that your child has a conscientious objection to the
recitation, or (3) you are a representative of a foreign government to whom the
United States government extends diplomatic immunity. [See policy EHBK]
·
As a parent, if
your children are multiple birth siblings (e.g., twins, triplets, etc.)
assigned to the same grade and campus, you may request that they be placed
either in the same classroom or in separate classrooms. Your written request must be submitted no
later than the 14th day after the enrollment of your children. [See FDB(LEGAL)]
GRADING/HOMEWORK
GUIDELINES - ELEMENTARY
Elementary
Homework Guidelines
Homework provides the opportunity to extend
knowledge, skills, and practice at home.
Parents are encouraged to monitor homework to ensure that the assignment
is competed and returned.
Teacher
Expectations
Parent
Expectations
Research consistently shows that parents are a key
factor in children’s success in school. You
must play an important role in the homework process, and it is up to you to see
that homework is completed.
Student
Expectations
Kindergarten –
Homework Guidelines
Read with your child/children 10-15 minutes daily.
Grades 1-3 –
Homework Guidelines
When assigned, students in grades 1-3 may have
additional homework assignments not to exceed 45 minutes three days per
week. In addition, students are
encouraged to read and study for weekly tests (spelling, math facts, etc.)
daily. No homework assignments will be
given on Friday.
Grades 4-5 –
Homework Guidelines
When assigned, students in grades 4-5 may have
additional homework assignments not to exceed 60 minutes three days per
week. In addition, students are
encouraged to read and study for weekly tests (spelling, math facts, etc.)
daily. No homework assignments will be
given on Friday. Please note: time
needed to complete long-term project assignments (i.e., Science Fair projects,
DAR essays, etc.) is not included in the above guidelines.
Weekly Class
Work Progress
Communicating with parents occurs on a weekly basis
with student’s work and behavior chart being sent home each week. The graded papers show your child’s
progress. Please review your child’s
work, his/her behavior chart, place your signature on the behavior chart, and
return only what is requested by your child’s teacher.
Parent conferences will be held for all elementary
age students after the end of the second and fourth six weeks grading
period. Under special conditions a
telephone conference may be substituted.
Parents wishing to meet with teachers should make an appointment for a
conference through the school office.
Parent conferences will be scheduled following campus procedures.
Tutorial Programs
Tutorial instruction is provided by the District both
during the school day, after school, and other arranged times. If additional instruction time is needed for
your child, you will be notified.
Teachers will evaluate the progress of students
after the first three weeks of each six weeks grading period. Progress reports will be sent home on the
fourth Thursday of each six weeks grading period with students who have a grade
below 75 in any class. Progress reports
may be sent to all students at the campus or at teacher discretion. Progress reports need to be signed by the
parent or guardian and returned promptly to the teacher. Parents or teacher may also request a
conference at this time.
Report cards will be sent home with all students on
the Thursday following each six weeks grading period as indicated on the school
calendar. (Kindergarten report cards are
sent after each 12 weeks, with other parent notification/contact each 6
weeks.) The report card must be signed
by the parent or guardian and returned promptly to the teacher. If the parent or guardian has a question or
concern regarding grades they should make contact with the teacher first.
Grades will be given and recorded in the following
areas for each six weeks:
·
Minimum number of grades =
4 (in
the first grading period)
8 (all other
grading periods)
·
Consisting of, but not limited to, the following:
°
Homework, class work, review quiz, reports, projects, folders,
participation, etc.
°
Test grade:
·
Minimum number of grades = 2
·
Consisting of, but not limited to, the following:
°
Tests, projects, research papers, oral presentations, Power Point
presentations, etc.
Achievement shall be reported on the
pre-kindergarten report card.
Achievement shall be reported on the kindergarten
report card.
Achievement shall be reported to parents as:
90-100 Excellent
80-89 Satisfactory
70-79 Average
69 and below Needs Improvement
E Excellent, At or Above Grade Level
S Satisfactory, Progressing, At Grade
level - some modifications needed
N Needs Improvement – extensive
modifications needed to maintain grade
Achievement shall be reported to parents as:
90-100 Excellent
80-89 Satisfactory