Bennett Middle Student Handbook 2023-2024

WICOMICO COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2023-2024 BENNETT MIDDLE SCHOOL PRACTICES & PROCEDURES

Bennett Middle School Be Legendary THE DAILY SCHEDULE Bennett Middle School will operate on a twoday schedule Monday thru Friday. It is more important to think of the day as an “A” and “B” day rather than Monday, Tuesday, etc. PBIS/Legendary House In an effort to improve student success, Bennett Middle School will once again be implementing the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program (PBIS) with the addition of the Legendary House System. This research-based program is designed to improve student behavior, student achievement, and overall school climate by setting clear and consistent expectations for appropriate behaviors. Students will join a HOUSE that represents characteristics that Bennett Middle School values: Honor, Spirit, Courage, Grit, and Wisdom. Houses cross grade levels and include all stakeholders within Bennett Middle School. Our PBIS plan focuses on kindness, responsibility, and achievement. Students who consistently demonstrate these attributes, will be invited to participate in monthly school-wide incentives and will earn points for their House. At the classroom level, teachers implement strategies to promote and recognize appropriate classroom behaviors. AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES From time to time, there will be activities that take place after regular school hours, such as dances, sports, and clubs. All students must have a 2.0 GPA to attend or participate in these activities. Admission to dances is by ticket only. Tickets must be obtained in advance. No tickets will be sold or distributed at the door. Spectators to sporting events will be charged a small entrance fee. Students who have 1-4 days of Out of School Suspension, may not attend an after-school event for 10 school days, including suspension days. Once a student has 5 or more days of Out of School suspension, the student may not attend afterschool activities for 45 school days. (This does not include band, chorus, or tutoring) Students participating in after school activities (i.e. band, chorus, intramurals, detention, clubs, dances, tutoring, etc.) should be picked up within 15 minutes of the conclusion of the activity. Failure to abide by this policy may result in disciplinary consequences and will result in the loss of participation in further extracurricular events. Students participating in after school, noncurricular activities must meet the county criteria. The following criteria is in place for all school dances: • At least a 2.0 GPA from the most recent report card • No out of school suspensions for the current semester • No more than 2 unexcused absences for the current semester.

STUDENTS REMAINING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS AFTER SCHOOL HOURS Daily dismissal is at 3:15 pm. Students should leave promptly unless under adult supervision. Failure to abide by this policy may result in disciplinary consequences. If an emergency should arise where a child cannot be picked up as stated above, the school should be notified immediately at 410-6775140. CAFETERIA PROCEDURES AND POLICIES Lunches are prepared each day by the school cafeteria staff. The menus are planned by the month. Students may bring their own food from home, but glass containers are not permitted. Fast food may not be dropped off for students, as it causes a disruption to the school environment. Prices for lunches are established by the Board of Education each summer prior to the start of school. Lunches are served in shifts with each shift having approximately twenty-five minutes to eat. Students are expected to comply with the following rules and procedures: 1. Enter the cafeteria in an orderly fashion and sit at their assigned table until an administrator permits the class to line up to purchase lunch. 2. Walk to the food lines and wait in line for their turn. 3. Sit in assigned areas. 4. Get permission before getting up from their assigned area. 5. Deposit all trash in trash cans at designated times. 6. Eat or throw away all food purchased in the cafeteria. These items may not be taken out of the cafeteria. 7. Wait to be dismissed by administrators upon their teacher’s arrival. 8. Leave the cafeteria with their class in an orderly fashion. All students must report to the cafeteria at lunchtime. No students should leave the premises at lunch time without permission from the office. Students are not permitted to order lunch items such as pizza, submarine sandwiches, etc. from carry-out restaurants to be delivered to school. Students will not be pulled from instruction to eat outside of their assigned lunch shift, unless permitted by administration. ATTENDANCE If a student is absent, regardless of the length of time, he/she must account for his/her absence by bringing a note signed by his/her parent or guardian explaining the reason for the absence. This note should be given to the student’s teacher who will forward the note to the office. Notes should be turned in within 5 days of their absence to be excused. The principal may require a parent to turn in a doctor’s note to excuse an absence, if the student is reported as continuously absent for illness. Comar 13A.08.01.03 If a student has a doctor, dental or other professional appointment, he/she is to bring a note to the main office before first period. He/She will be given a GENERAL USE SLIP INDICATING THE TIME HE/SHE IS TO REPORT TO THE MAIN OFFICE TO SIGN OUT. The student must wait in the office for his/her parent to arrive. When the student returns to school, he/she must have a note from the doctor, dentist or parent verifying that he/she had been to see the doctor or dentist.

Absence from school without your parent’s/guardian’s consent (truancy) is not acceptable. Truancy is unexcused; therefore, disciplinary actions will follow as stated in the Wicomico County Code of Conduct. Students that 5 or more unexcused absences in a quarter will be placed on an Attendance Intervention Plan. DETENTIONS Students assigned after school detention are required to serve the detention. The detention slip must be signed by the parent/guardian and returned to the appropriate teacher. If a student fails to stay for the assigned detention, the teacher will contact the student’s parent/guardian and reassign the detention one time. If the student fails to stay for the reassigned detention, further disciplinary action will result. DRESS CODE See the Dress Code in the Wicomico County Code of Conduct. Students violating the dress code will be asked to change or parent will be notified to bring a change of clothing. FIRE/EMERGENCY DRILLS Each classroom has a set of directions for leaving the building during a fire drill. These directions are posted by the exit door. Read these directions and learn what to do in the event of a drill or fire. When the bell sounds, move quickly and in an orderly manner towards the exit. Do not run. When outside the building, students should move with his/her class to a reasonable distance from the school and remain in a single file with his/her class. Students should return to the school with their teacher when assigned. If the fire bell rings at lunchtime, students exit on the side of the cafeteria and move in an orderly manner outside. If the fire bell rings during class change, all students are to exit the building at the nearest exit and locate the teacher of the class the student was just dismissed from. Form a single file line with that class. “Safe in Place” and “Lock Down” drills will be held periodically throughout the school year to ensure preparedness in case of an emergency. SCHOOL COUNSELORS, STUDENT ADVISORS, AND CAREER COUNSELOR Counselors and our student advisor provide services which include, but are not limited to, academic guidance, behavioral counseling, peer relationship issues, mentoring and crisis intervention. They also advise and link students and parents to appropriate community supports and services. Our counselors will help students plan class schedules and guide in the selection of courses. Students may be referred to a counselor or the student advisor by parents, staff, or peers. Students may also refer themselves for services. HALLWAY RULES Students are expected to behave in an orderly manner while in the hallway. Students are expected to keep the hallways neat and clean. Keep reasonable distance between yourself and others. Walk on the righthand side of the hallway. The wearing of hoods/hats is not permitted in the hallways.

HEALTH SERVICES All students who become ill or injured during the school day should report to the school nurse or report to the office. Students are required to report to their class in order to obtain a pass from the teacher. Students will not be seen without a pass. ONLY THE NURSE will determine if the student should go home. If a student is ill enough to be sent home, the nurse will call the parent/guardian to inform him/her of the student’s condition. It is the parent/guardian’s decision when to pick up the student and take that student home. Upon leaving, the student must sign out in the office. Periodically students must take medication during the school day. The student must have a PHYSICIAN’S MEDICATION ORDER FORM filled out by the doctor prescribing the drug and a copy of this form must be on file with the nurse. This includes all over the counter and prescription medications. The medication must be kept with the nurse, not on the students’ person. MEDIA CENTER Books may be signed out from the Media Center for a period of time. If the book is not returned on or before the date it is due, you will be fined each day beyond the due date. When the overdue book is returned, the fine no longer accumulates. If a book is lost, the student will be charged the replacement cost of the book. The cost of books is very expensive, so great care should be exercised in the handling of books. No book is to be taken out of the media center until media personnel have properly checked it out. Violation or abuse of media center procedures will result in the loss of media privileges. SCHOOL FUNCTIONS Students participating in any activity sponsored by the school will be under direct supervision of a member of the school staff and chaperones in charge. Students are expected to be well behaved and act in a respectful manner at all times as the Code of Conduct remains in effect for all school functions. Failure to abide by the code of conduct will result in disciplinary action. Any student who does not cooperate is subject to exclusion from future school functions. Students must be picked up on time from the after-school function. TARDINESS Tardiness is in two (2) categories – lateness to class and lateness to school. The time provided between classes, three to five minutes, is the maximum time required for reporting to the next class. You are expected to report to class on time, be seated and wait for class to begin. If you are late to class, the teacher will deal with your lateness according to county policy as indicated in the Wicomico County Code of Conduct. The office in accordance with the Wicomico County Code of Conduct, will handle lateness to school. CELL PHONES Cell phones are permitted on school grounds but are brought to school at the student’s own risk. Silent use of cell phones is permitted during their assigned lunch shift. Cell phones should not be used during instruction unless explicitly permitted by the teacher. Failure to abide by these expectations will result in disciplinary action. Please refer to the wcboe.org website in order to read a full description of the cell phone policy.

TELEPHONE USE A phone in the main office is available for student use before school and after school. Emergency use of the telephone during the school days requires permission from an administrator or office staff. Wicomico County Board of Education policy does not permit the use of cell phones to contact parents during the school day. TEXTBOOKS All textbooks are the property of and paid for by the Board of Education. These books are issued to students for their use. Once issued to the student, the book(s) become the student’s responsibility. Students should take good care of these books. Fines will be charged by the classroom teacher for damaged or lost textbooks. Price lists on all books are maintained in the main office. The lost textbook must be paid for before the student will be issued a new one. STUDENT PICK-UP To ensure the safety of all students, you must be on the student’s contact list and must show photo ID in order to pick up any student or be permitted to visit the student’s class. VISITORS ALL visitors MUST visit the school office, present their valid driver’s license, and obtain a visitor’s pass before going to any location in the building. This procedure is designed to protect your child and the staff. Please follow the procedure at all times. CODE OF CONDUCT The Code of Conduct will be reviewed by your child’s grade level administrator within the first few weeks of school. The code of conduct is easily accessible through our website. SCHOOL MESSENGER An automated telephone call system, School Messenger, will be used throughout the school year to communicate school related information to parents and guardians. It is important that BMS have the most recent telephone information/numbers, and email address so we may contact you regarding student attendance, school sponsored events, and PTA related functions. School Messenger will also be used in the case of a school emergency to notify parents or guardians of a school or community safety issue. School Messenger is also used by the Board of Education to notify families of school closings and other county-wide events.

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