At Mt. Tabor, student discipline is split up by student last name. Each administrator takes one part of the alphabet to deal with discipline concerns from those students. The assignments are as follows:
Mr. Applegate Students A-G
Mrs. Clemons Students H-O
Mr. Kee Students P-Z
WS/FCS has established a discipline Code of Conduct, known as Guidelines for Dsicpline, AR 5131. This is the same set of guidelines used across the county to provide consistency among all WS/FCS schools. These guidelines are provided in this handbook for you to read and understand how the disciplinary process works. Any questions you may have can be directed to your student’s Assistant Principal.
In School Suspension or Period Time Out at Mt. Tabor are used by both administration and teachers as a beginning level of discipline for unruly behavior. Students sent to In School Suspension by administrators report trailer 408 and spend the allotted number of days for whatever their infraction was (skipping, excessive tardies, classroom disruptions, etc.). Students complete their assignments while in ISS in an isolated environment with ample time to contemplate changing their behaviors.
Teachers may also send students to ISS for their class period if the student’s behavior is such that it disrupts the classroom and affects the education of other students in it. This decision is left up to the discretion of each individual teacher. If your student is sent to ISS by a teacher or an administrator, you should receive a call notifying you of the incident and the disciplinary action.
For those students who are repeat offenders of the lower levels of the WS/FCS Guidelines for Discipline, the Alternative Learning Center exists to help them change their destructive behaviors. For excessive disciplinary problems of this nature, students may be assigned to the Alternative Learning Center housed in a trailer on Mt. Tabor’s Campus. Students are assigned to ALC for a minimum of 45 days. Teachers will assist these students in all subject areas and in learning to adjust their behaviors. A complete curriculum is provided in ALC for all major subject areas as students learn how to be successful both in and out of the classroom.
Personal appearance directly affects students’ pride in the school; therefore, dress should be comfortable and appropriate for the learning environment. It should not be revealing or distracting to others. Mount Tabor High School wants to help students prepare for the business and social world dressing appropriately is part of this education. Clothing must suit the following guidelines:
General guidelines include:
· Clothing must appropriately cover the body (includes midriff, underarm, lower back/chest)
· Clothing must be appropriate length (shorts, dresses, skirts without leggings must be fingertip length)
· Clothing must be secured properly and should not sag (pants/shorts that are sagging will be secured with zip ties)
· Shoes must be worn at all times.
· Clothing displaying alcohol/drugs, suggestive/offensive messages, profanity/violence, or gang affiliation is not permitted.
Prohibited Clothing/Items
· Tank tops
· Sunglasses
· Grills
· Visible undergarments (bras, underwear, boxers)
· See-through clothing
· Pajamas, loungewear, slippers
· Blankets
· Hats
· Headscarves
· Bandanas
· Hair curlers
· rosaries
Primarily, first period teachers will monitor dress and grooming, but all teachers are charged with the responsibility of enforcing student dress code in their classes, hallways, and on campus. If students violate dress code, they must change to meet the standards. Where possible, the school will provide a change of clothing to those who violate dress code. If no clothing is available, the student must return home to change or got to ISS. Any prohibited item can be held for release to parents and guardians. Failure to comply with the dress code will result in Level I-II discipline.
To create and maintain an environment of trust and honesty at Mt. Tabor High school, we have established an Honor Code to address issues of academic misconduct. While we embrace technology and encourage our students to do the same, we realize that this also means that we must be vigilant and teach our students the value of honesty and integrity in the work that they do. Included in this handbook is a copy of Mt. Tabor High School’s Honor Code, along with suggestions on how students can avoid actions such as plagiarism.
Our English department and many of the other teachers on staff also use a plagiarism prevention website known as Turitin.com to check all papers handed in for assignments. Students are required to submit both a hard copy of papers and an electronic copy to be uploaded into the website. The paper is then checked for plagiarism both against the Internet and against all other papers ever uploaded into the site. If a paper is found to be plagiarized, a report is printed out from the website and handed to that student’s administrator. Students will be taught through their English classes proper documentation and other information needed to produce papers that are not plagiarized.
Fighting in school, on school buses, or at school functions will result in suspension, exclusion and/or prosecution, depending on the nature of the disruption and the degree of involvement. First offense will result in a 5-day suspension and/or recommendation for an alternate placement and/or prosecution. A second offense will result in a 10-day suspension with a recommendation to the Superintendent to exclude the student from Mount Tabor and/or prosecution.
Refusal to give name: In a school as large as Mt. Tabor, it is impossible for every staff member to know the name of every student. Therefore, if a staff member asks a student for his/her name and student fails to give his/her LEGAL NAME, he/she will be suspended.
Disruptive behavior: Any student found in disruptive actions which interfere with or disrupt the class or school day for a large number of students will be assigned detention, ALC, or suspended, depending on the circumstances of the infraction.
No Sales: No unapproved sales of any articles, goods, food, or drink may take place on the school grounds or in the building from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. The items will be confiscated, tagged and sent to the office.
Dice, Playing Cards and Basketballs, Skateboards, Gambling, etc.: These items are not allowed on campus. Items will be confiscated, tagged and turned into the administration and turned over to parents, then ISS, then OSS. Also refusal to give said items up is cause for discipline.
Ear buds, headphones: These items should not be visible or in use during the instructional period, unless permission is given by an individual teacher for instructional purposes for that specific class. Ear buds are to be worn in only one ear while in the hallways during class exchange in order for students to hear any instructions from staff.
Forgery: Students who forge notes or use forged notes will result in Out-of-School suspension.
Unauthorized Leaving of School: Students who leave campus or contribute to other students leaving campus during the school day without following proper procedures will be assigned 2 hours of work detail on the first offense, and 2 days suspension for the second offense, and subsequent offenses will result in additional suspension days. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the status of other involved students. Also, loss of parking privileges may occur.
Hall Passes: When leaving class for any reason, the student should secure a hall pass. (Students should attend to restroom needs and pick up needed class materials during class change or lunch.) Passes should be limited to emergencies. A teacher has the option of issuing up to, and not more than, 2 hall passes per student per quarter, to be used at the discretion of the teacher. A teacher has the discretion to tell a student “No” about using the bathroom during class.
Graffiti: Graffiti or writing on school property is inappropriate and is offensive. A student found writing on school property will be disciplined.
Excessive graffiti will result in suspension, restitution, prosecution and/or Alternate Placement may occur.
Littering: Any student littering anywhere on campus or in the building will be assigned work detail or ALC detention.
Misconduct: Kissing or showing public affection at schools or at any school-
sponsored activity is misconduct and will result in disciplinary action.
Searching Students: School officials have the right to search a student, including a student’s car, pockets and book bag, if they have a reasonable suspicion that the student is concealing evidence of misconduct. School officials may also search a student’s locker or desk at any time, since they are the property of the school, and students are allowed to use them to store only those things which may lawfully be brought to school.
No Gambling: Students found gambling will be suspended.
Vending Machines: The drink and snack machines are OFF Limits to students from 7:30 until 3:30. Any student losing money in these machines during these hours will not be issued refunds.
The school will NOT accept flowers, candy or balloons for delivery to students during school hours. This includes students giving to students.
No Profanity: Students who use profanity may be suspended.
Teacher-directed profanity: Any student using profanity towards a teacher will automatically be suspended.
Failure to report to ISS-for disrupting class will result in 2 days of OSS.
Rolling of campus and other pranks:
Students who engage in activities that vandalize the campus of Mt. Tabor will have disciplinary action taken against them, depending on the infraction. Rolling the campus is the most popular form of vandalism for which students will be punished. We expect students to keep the campus clean and protect it from vandals, not engage in vandalism themselves.
The issue of student cell phones has recently become a big enough issue that it deserves its own space in this newsletter! The majority of our students carry cell phones and we are aware that this is also a method that you use to keep track of your student. However, cell phones are becoming more and more of an issue in the classroom and halls of schools as they are a disruption in the classroom in many different ways if students do not follow the rules about their use.
Students are allowed to have a cell phone with them, and they can use it before and after school, in between classes, and during lunch. However, cell phones are strictly prohibited in the classroom and during classroom time, such as in the bathroom when a student leaves class. If a teacher sees a student using a cell phone (whether talking on it or text messaging), or a student even has the cell phone out, that teacher will confiscate the cell phone and turn it in to the office. A parent or guardian must come and pick it up from the office; the student is not allowed to get it from the office. If a cell phone is taken more than once, disciplinary action will be taken against the student.
If a student refuses to give a teacher or administrator their cell phone when they have been caught using it at an inappropriate time, that student will be suspended for failure to follow a teacher directive.
Teachers are allowed to let students use the phones in the classrooms if they are using them as part of a lesson or if it is an emergency. As parents, please refrain from text messaging your students or calling them during the school day unless it is an emergency. It will help cut down on classroom distractions and perhaps prevent getting your student in trouble.
Tardiness is defined as arriving to class or school after the scheduled time for class or school to begin, without a valid reason for being late. The following are guidelines for dealing with tardies:
1. At the sound of the tardy bell, ALL TEACHERS will close and lock their classroom doors.
2. Immediately after the tardy bell sounds, selected teachers and administrators will conduct a twenty-minute sweep of the school to ensure that no one is out of class.
3. Teachers will not issue any form of a hall pass during the first ten minutes of class.
4. Those conducting tardy sweeps will escort students who are late to their classroom.
5. When students who are late arrive to class, their teacher will record their tardy or may have students sign in to class to keep track of tardies.
6. Teachers will record when students are late in their attendance books and in records on PowerSchool.
Tardies accumulate for all class periods per quarter. Tardies will be monitored by administration and students will be called for administrative conferences and for meting out consequences when tardies are excessive. Consequences are:
Tardy # Consequence
Tardy 3,6 Parent contact
Tardy 9 Admin. Conference
Tardy 10+ Detention, Sat. Sch.,
ASD, ISS, OSS
Lateness can also be considered an absence. If a student missed more than 50% of a class, the student will be considered absent from class. If a student missed more than 50% of a school day, the student will be considered absent from school.