STUDENT HANDBOOK

FOR

SCOTTHIGH SCHOOL

2013-2014

SCOTTHIGH SCHOOL

5400 OLD TAYLOR MILL ROAD

TAYLORMILL, KY41015

Phone (859) 356-3146

Fax (859) 356-5516

SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

Those of us who have a stake in Scott High School (Students, educators, staff, parents, and community members) endeavor to create an atmosphere that promotes a positive attitude of respect for self and others, communication skills, and lifelong learning. The ultimate goal is for students to become productive, contributing citizens able to interact positively in an ever-changing society.

This agenda belongs to:

NAME______

ADDRESS______

CITY/TOWN______ZIP CODE______

PHONE______

Welcome to Scott High School. This Agenda book is published as a guide for you. Please use this book to keep track of your grades and due dates for homework, projects, and tests. It can also be used to help you set goals for yourself this year and to help you keep track of your personal schedule.

Please remember:

Please do not remove pages or deface this book in any wayand do not share this book with other students, it is intended for your use only.

We have read and understand the Student Code of Conduct of the Kenton County Board of Education and the policies and procedures at ScottHigh School.

Student Signature

Parent Signature

Parents and students please sign this page and the bottom of the next page. These pages will remain in the book as evidence of your knowledge of the contents.

2013-2014 Key Contacts

Main Office 859-356-3146

Dr. Brennon Sapp, Principal 356-3146 ex. 1511

Shane Rogers, Assistant Principal 960-1512

Carolyn Stewart, Assistant Principal 960-1521

Kimberly Black, Attendance960-1514

Sylvia Jones, Registrar 960-1519

Pool Office 960-1605

Band Office 960-1526

Counselors

Deborah Ison 960-1516

Dee Williams 960-1518

Dana Davis 960-1522

Important Dates to Remember
August 14… / First Day of School
September 2…
September 26…
October 11-14… / Labor Day – School closed
Parent Teacher Conference
School closed
November 27-29… / Thanksgiving – School closed
December 23-January 5… / Winter Break – School closed
January 20… / ML King Jr. Day – School closed
January 16… / Parent Teacher Conference
February 17…
March 21… / Presidents Day- School closed
PD Day – School closed
April 7- April 11… / Spring Break
April 17…
April 21…
Honors Night…
May 20…
May 23… / Parent Teacher Conference
School closed
TBA
Primary Election – School closed
Last Day of School (pending snow days)

Other Important Dates

3rdMonday of every month, 4:00 p.m.Site Base Council Meeting

4thMonday of every month, 7:00 p.m.Eagle Club Meeting

TheNewScottHighSchool______

We at Scott High School consider safety and education as priority responsibilities to our students. Scott High School would like to inform our parents and community of how we are continuing to address some of the issues we know are important for the future success of our students. Please review the following information.

Educationally, we at Scott High School are continuing to work toward improving and modernizing our faculties, teaching methods, and student experience. Over the next few years, we will be remodeling our school and classrooms in order to best support NextGeneration of learning. Simultaneously, we continue to professionally develop our staff with modern research based, teaching strategies in order to educate your child in a way that provides them the best chance for success in their future.

Did You Know

Renaissance Academy

Beginning in the fall of 2012, Scott High School is starting a small learning community for Right Brain thinkers called the Renaissance Academy. These five teachers, counselor, and a principal have been attending trainings and working collaboratively to organize and plan for this NextGeneration Learning initiative. With an emphasis on problem based lessons, right brain learning, and group work, Renaissance Academy is an essential part of many students experience at Scott High School.

Career and College Ready

Scott High School is working to make all of our students Career and College Ready. Our staff uses some of the most high quality curriculum and resources available in order to prepare lessons which give our students the best chance of becoming Career and College Ready. Each department meets on a regular basis in order to align and adjust student experiences throughout their educational experience. Additionally, students at Scott High School take regular computerized/standardized tests in order to keep our teachers informed about how each student is progressing toward Being Career and College Ready.

Gates Collaborative

Scott High School is one of the leading schools in the nation in the implementation of two Gates Instructional Initiatives. The Math by Design Collaborative and the Literacy by Design Collaborative have resulted in over a million dollars in grant money provided to the Kenton County School District. Scott High School has several teachers who are not only recognized nationally as leaders in this area, but our students have flourished under these initiatives. This collaboration resulted in a visit from Jeff Raikes (the CEO of Microsoft) visiting Scott High School in the fall of 2011.

Gates Principal Advisory Committee

Scott High School’s principal is one of only 15 principals in the country who was invited to serve on the Gates Principal Advisory Committee. This committee, which first met in the spring of 2012, will continue to convene regularly over the next few years in order to provide feedback to Gates as they utilize billions of dollars of research toward improving education in the United States. Membership in this group will provide access to the most recent promising educational research as well as assuring collaboration with some of the best professionals in the country.

Professional Learning Communities

The teachers and the administrators at Scott High School work as a professional learning community. That means that the teachers and administrators meet on a regular basis to work together purposefully to evaluate and improve our vocation. Through review of performance data and a survey of pertinent research, the professionals at Scott High School work collaboratively to better the effectiveness of the educational process for our students. Although not always the case in a high school, these researched based professional development techniques are an essential component of maintaining a high level of teacher and student performance.

Classroom Walks

The administrators at Scott High School conduct regular classroom visits throughout the school on a regular basis. Classroom walks are ten to fifteen minute visits to classrooms by the principals in order to evaluate the educational experience of our students. That means that principals are in many classrooms around the school on a regular basis. The principals average fifty to sixty of these visits each week. Research has shown that conducting such visits increases student engagement and performance throughout the school.

Student Performance

The student pass rate at Scott High School is among the best in the area. The first two trimesters at Scott High School have resulted in a 95% pass rate. That is, overall 95% of the classes taken at Scott High School result in a passing grade. This pass rate is a considerable improvement over past years performance. In comparison, most schools see pass rates of 8% to 12%. How do we do this? Well the simplest explanation is that our teachers and students value education and work hard to do well. Additionally, our teachers and staff work hard to push students to perform. We do not accept failure easily, and if students need more intense intervention, we do everything within our ability to give them the help they need. While a 95% pass rate is phenomenal, we will continue to work to improve the success of our students.

Attendance

The students at Scott High School are coming to school more often. We have worked hard in order to make Scott High School a place students want to be. Our current daily attendance rate is around 94%. While this is an improvement over previous years and close to comparable high schools, we are continuing to work toward a higher level of student attendance. Students with higher attendance rates perform at a higher level than those with lower attendance rates.

Options for Seniors

Seniors at Scott High School are encouraged to expand their educational experience to their post secondary future. It is our goal that seniors will begin the next phase of their life while still a high school student. This allows for a transition period where students still have access to the supports and resources of our school, while participating in the next phase of their life. The senior experience at Scott High School may include high school classes, college classes on or off campus, dual credit classes through a college or other institution, an internship, a cooperative work experience, a senior project, or one of many other appropriate opportunities. Chances are, if it is educational, it can be part of the senior experience. Please discuss with a teacher or administrator to explore more options.

Academies

There are a number of academies available to Scott High School Students. Students are not required to be in an academy, but may apply if they want a specific kind of educational experience. Each academy functions as a small learning community where students spend a portion of their day with like minded students who are taught by teachers who regularly receive professional development on the best strategies for teaching the type of student in each academy. While the Renaissance Academy is open to Scott High School students exclusively, the Success Academy and the Kenton County Academies of Innovation and Technology are open to students throughout the Kenton County School District.

Attendance Policy

Classroom instruction begins every school day at 7:40 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. Students are expected to be at school, on time, each school day. If an unexpected absence occurs, parents must call 960-1514 (before 7:30 a.m. if possible) to report the absence and the student must report to the Attendance office immediately upon returning to school to exchange a parent note for an admit slip. If students know in advance of an upcoming absence for all or part of the school day, arrangements should be made in advance with the Attendance Coordinator (960-1514). By Kentucky Law,students arriving to school after 7:40 a.m. are considered Late Arrivals to school and must sign-in with the Attendance Coordinator and the following will result:

  • 3rd Unexcused Late Arrival – Detention and zero for all work missed while late
  • 4th Unexcused Late Arrival and beyond – Friday Detention and zero for all work missed while late.

All unexcused late arrivals to school after 9:00 a.m. are considered skipping school and students will receive Detention for each offense.

All students are considered unexcused without a written note from a parent/guardian, court, or doctor’s note. Students have three school days from the day of the absence to turn in a note to the attendance clerk.

Absence From School

On the day following an absence, every student is required to bring a note from a guardian giving reasons for the absence. This note is to be presented to the Attendance Coordinator before 7:40 a.m.Students who fail to bring a note or have an unexcused absence may not be permitted to make up work. All unexcused absences are considered truancy and students are subject to disciplinary action. Students who bring notes for absences due to illnesses, doctor/dentist appointments, court appointments, school-related activities, or family emergencies will be excused and permitted to make up work. Students will be limited tothreeparent notesper trimester, (including late arrivals and absences). Students who exceed seven unexcused absences are subject to truancy charges.

*** If you know your child is going to be absent from school for 5 or more days due to medical reasons, please contact the school immediately to arrange home instruction.

Parent/guardian notes, court, or doctor notes must be turned in within 3 school days of the absence.

Leaving School Before 2:30 p.m.

When students must leave school during the day, a note written by the guardian must be brought to the Attendance Coordinator before 7:40 a.m. The note must include a telephone number where the parent can be reached to verify the request. The student will be issued an Early Dismissal Slip that must be signed by each teacher of the classes being missed that day. The student must turn in the Early Dismissal Slip to the Attendance Coordinator before leaving school. For the safety of our students, guardian or designee must sign the student out in theAttendance Coordinator’s office before leaving.Parent/guardians will be required to show photo identification in order for a student to be dismissed.

. Under no circumstances are students to ever leave school before 2:30 p.m. without communication between school staff and legal guardian. Early dismissals will be excused only for the following reasons:

  1. Death in family/family emergency
  2. Doctor/dental appointments
  3. Court appointment
  4. Driver’s test

If the Attendance Coordinator cannot verify with a legal guardian that a student is to be dismissed early, THE STUDENT WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO LEAVE SCHOOL GROUNDS.

Returning to School After Early Dismissal

If a student signs out for a doctor or dentist appointment, driver’s license test, death in the family or other family emergency, court appearance, or hygienic emergency, he/she must return to school and take part in class and extra school functions.

Daily Procedures and Policy

  1. Students are expected to attend school regularly and on time.
  2. Students should be in their assigned rooms at the designated time.
  3. Students must remain in assigned areas on campus.
  4. Students driving to school must leave their cars and enter the building immediately upon arrival.
  5. Students may not go to the parking lot during the school day without written permission from the principal.
  6. Students leaving class during instructional hours must possess a student hall pass.
  7. Students summoned from class must report directly to the appropriate office.
  8. Scuffling, wrestling, and general horseplay are not permitted.
  9. Students will not use or direct profanity, lewd or obscene language, or gestures toward any staff member.
  10. Students may not take food or beverages from the commons, nor have commercially prepared food brought into the school.
  11. Drinks other than water are not permitted out of the commons area.
  12. During their designated lunch time, students must remain in the commons. Students are not permitted upstairs or in the downstairs hallways during lunch. Students walk to lunch and return to class as quietly as possible.
Make-up Classroom Work/Tests

Students must make up work missed from excused absences, tardies, and early dismissals. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the teacher concerning make-up work. This make-up time is normally one day for each day absent, not to exceed two weeks. Parents may call to request missed assignments on the second day of an absence of two or more days. Requests must be made by 9:00 a.m.and teachers need 24 hours to process the request. Please call the guidance secretary for the assignments.

A Safe and Respectful Environment

THE ADMINISTRATION RETAINS THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHICH CATEGORY THE OFFENSE FALLIS INTO AND BYPASS ANY STEP DUE TO SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES.

MULTIPLE INFRACTIONS CAN OCCUR WITHIN A SINGLE DISCIPLINE EVENT. THEREFORE, EACH SEPARATE OFFENSE MAY BE DEALT WITH INDIVIDUALLY AND THE PUNISHMENT MAY BE CUMULATIVE.

Students with excessive discipline referrals or multiple repeated violations are subject to administrative hearings and charges of incorrigible behavior.

Discipline Progression:

If a student skips or does not attend a detention then he or shemay be assigned I.C.E. orsuspended.

Level One Offenses - The offenses listed below, while serious in nature, do not cause harm to individual students or significantly disrupt the educational process. They will be handled as individual discipline referrals.

Cell Phones/Electronic Devices

Cell phones - Students in the Kenton County School District may possess a cell phone while at school. At Scott High School students are permitted to use their phone during class changes and while at lunch. Students that are found to be using their phone during class time, will be subject to disciplinary action.

Electronic devices - CD players, iPods, MP3 players and any other music player may be used in the hallways, at lunch and in the classroom, at the teacher’s discretion. They are not permitted during detention orI.C.E. Students who use a music player in the classroom without the teacher’s permission or a student using a laser pointer, gaming systems, portable DVD players, or any other electronic device that interferes with the educational process will be treated according to the following procedures:

1st offense–Classroom level intervention

2nd offense–Classroom level intervention

3rd offense–Referral to office, call home and DT assigned.

4th offense and any thereafter–I.C.E. and/or Suspension from school. Each subsequent offense after the 5th constitutes an additional day of suspension from school. (i.e. 6thviolation is a two day suspension, 7th violation is a 3 day suspension, etc.) The severity of this consequence is due to continued defiance.

  • For this policy a cell phone is defined as all parts of a normal cell phone, including battery and SIM card.
  • When a situation occurs where a student is using another student’s cell phone, both the user and the owner of the cell phone will be subject to disciplinary action as defined by the above policy.
  • Refusal to surrender cell phone to an administrator will result in a 1-day suspension from school and the student will not be permitted back until they surrender their cell phone to an administrator.

Tardy to Class: To be tabulated by trimester

1st-3rd violations- Teacher level interventions which may include but not limited to: call home or teacher detention. 4thand 5thviolations -Detention
6thand 7thviolations –I.C.E.
8thand 9th violations –Multiple days in I.C.E. or suspension at Administrator’s discretion
10th and any thereafter- Suspension from school. Each subsequent offense after the 10th constitutes an additional day of suspension from school. (i.e. 6th violation is a two day suspension, 7th violation is a 3 day suspension, etc.) The severity of this consequence is due to continued defiance.