WHITEHAVEN HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENT/PARENT
EXPECTATION PLAN
2012-2013
Remember! See The Vision Through The Eye Of The Tiger!!!!!!!
4851 Elvis Presley Boulevard
Memphis, Tennessee 38116
(901) 416-3000
Dr. Vincent J. Hunter, Principal
Our Vision
Whitehaven High School is a dynamic learning
community in which a spirit of pride and unity exists.
This learning community puts the interests of students
first and enables them to achieve their maximum
potential in a safe, caring, clean and supportive
environment. Exposure to meaningful learning
experiences prepares all students to become productive
contributors and communicators in a technologically
advanced world. Whitehaven High School is a positive
force that prepares all students for life.
Our Mission
Whitehaven High School
is committed to
providing all students
with the skills and experience
necessary to assure
the possibility
of productive,
successful and
happy lives.
School Rules
APPEARANCE reflects ATTITUDE
ATTITUDE defines LEADERSHIP
LEADERS are ACCOUNTABLE for their ACTIONS
Dr. Hunter’s Creed
For every decision that you make,
there is a consequence.
YOU determine
whether that consequence is
POSITIVE or NEGATIVE
by the DECISION that YOU make.
Remember! See The Vision Through The Eye Of The Tiger!!!!!
· A commitment to high expectations for all students is the chief priority of the school.
· Students need basic skills of reading, writing, problem-solving, and critical thinking to become productive contributors to society.
· A united learning community where staff and administration practice fairness and consistency, encourages students to demonstrate self-discipline, responsibility, and instills pride.
· Students learn better when research-based instructional strategies address a variety of learning styles.
· Challenging all students to produce quality work strengthens their academic foundation.
· Good student attendance coincides with student achievement.
· Continuous assessment and evaluation improves curriculum, instruction, school climate, and organizational practices affecting the learning needs of students.
· Students need a network of support to ensure that every student succeeds in core, vocational and elective subjects.
· Exposure to meaningful learning experiences enables students to see the relevancy of their learning.
· Integration of technology as a learning tool in the classroom prepares students for a technologically advanced world.
WHITEHAVEN HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENT/PARENT EXPECTATION PLAN 2012-2013
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF STUDENTS – The building will open at 7:20 a.m. each morning for students to enter. Student(s) arriving before 7:20 a.m. must remain outside the building. Students arriving for breakfast may enter the cafeteria at 7:00 a.m. and must remain in the cafeteria until 7:20 a.m. Students eating breakfast may ONLY enter the cafeteria using the Tiger Den doors. During inclement weather, students may enter the building at 7:00 a.m. and remain in an area designated by the administration. Students should be off campus by 2:30 p.m., unless under the supervision of a faculty member. Please be aware that the safety of your child is at risk each time he/she is left unsupervised before and after school. We strongly urge parents to make arrangements for timely transportation of their
child(ren).
AUTOMOBILES – Students who drive to school must complete a vehicle registration form to be kept on file in the Attendance Office. A parking hangtag will be issued at no cost. The parking hangtag must hang from the rear view mirror at all times when on the campus of Whitehaven High School. Students are allowed to park ONLY in the fenced student parking lot located on the west side of the campus. After arriving on campus, students are not permitted to sit or lounge around in their vehicles. The student parking lot gates will be locked from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Students that arrive after 7:30 must report to the D-building office to check-in and obtain entrance to the student lot. Reckless driving, exceeding 15 MPH, illegal parking and loud music are PROHIBITED. Parking violations will be subject to the following action:
1st Violation – Warning
2nd Violation – Parent Conference
3rd Violation – Suspension
4th Violation – Revoked parking privilege for remainder of the school year.
SMOKING – Smoking and the use of any other tobacco product will be prohibited in the school buildings and on the grounds of all Memphis City Schools at all times, including but not limited to school activities, athletic events, etc.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES – Radios, tape players, CD players, ear phones, head phones, beepers, iPods, MP3 players, televisions, cellular/portable telephones and any other electronic devices, in use or not in use, which could be disruptive to the educational process, are not permitted on campus before, during and after school hours, including but not limited to school activities, athletic events, etc. All items will be confiscated by school personnel. A parent or guardian may pick up confiscated item (s) in 72 hours.
DRESS CODE – Please refer to the Uniform Policy, adopted by the Leadership Council at Whitehaven High, in the appendix of this Student/Parent Expectation Plan. Violators will receive progressive disciplinary actions based on Memphis City Schools’ Code of Conduct.
INSUBORDINATION – Students are insubordinate when they refuse to follow a reasonable request, direction or instruction of an adult through disobedience, defiance, unruliness or noncompliance. This includes walking away when being addressed by an adult, refusal to work in class and arriving late to class. Students who are insubordinate will be issued a suspension.
REPORT CARDS – Reports Cards will be issued on Wednesday following the close of each nine-weeks grading period.
PROGRESS REPORT – Progress reports will be issued at the four and a half week point of each nine-week grading period.
LOCKERS - Students are expected to use the lockers that they are assigned. There is no fee for utilizing lockers. NO MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE MAY SHARE A LOCKER. Lockers will be inspected and searched if necessary at the discretion of the administration. Students must understand that lockers are provided for storage of daily school related items, i.e., books, paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc. Students are instructed not to store valuable items in their lockers, i.e. coats, jackets, shoes, calculators, CD players, etc. Students are permitted to provide locks for their lockers. If a student utilizes this opportunity to use his or her own lock, a second key or combination MUST be provided to Melissa Coleman in the D-Building Office.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE - All food and beverages must be consumed in the cafeteria. The sale of any food item, except cafeteria food, MUST be AFTER school hours. At no time will a student be allowed to sell any item for personal gain. If students are in possession of bulk items with the obvious intent to sell, items will be confiscated and student will receive consequences according to code of conduct. To receive confiscated items, a store receipt must be provided by the parent or guardian during the suspension clearance. All unclaimed confiscated items will be disposed of if no receipt is provided.
CAFETERIA – All students must eat lunch in the cafeteria. All students are expected to remain in the cafeteria during their lunch period. You must have written permission from the administration or a teacher in order to leave the cafeteria area during lunch. Each student is expected to clean his or her own table. Trash receptacles are available throughout the cafeteria. Students may purchase items in the cafeteria during lunch or they may bring their lunch from home. No other outside food may be brought on campus.
CHANGING CLASSES – Students are allowed five (5) minutes after the ringing of the bell to pass to their next class. Tardies to class will interrupt your academic progress and could result in progressive disciplinary action. Students must be inside the classroom door before the tardy bell rings.
ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL – PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED BOARD POLICIES #6.200 and
6.201 ON ATTENDANCE IN THE APPENDIX SECTION.
WITHDRAWAL OF STUDENTS – If a student relocates out of Whitehaven’s district and must withdraw from Whitehaven, the proper paperwork must be completed in the Attendance Office. All paperwork must be completed and submitted before the withdrawal is deemed official. A parent or guardian should accompany the student (s) on campus during the withdrawal process.
WEAPONS – It is a felony in the state of Tennessee to carry a weapon on school property. Any student with a weapon on Whitehaven High School’s property, according to Tennessee statue and MCS Board policy, will be subjected to the state’s mandated one year expulsion from school.
ID POLICY – Identification badges are provided to the students. The following must be adhered to regarding student badges:
· Badges are the property of Memphis City Schools.
· Badges are mandatory and must be worn around the neck at all times and with photo clearly visible during the school day or while attending Memphis City Schools’ functions.
· Badges must be returned to the Principal’s office upon suspension, transfer, graduation or withdrawal from school. Transcript(s) will be withheld pending return of the badge.
· Badges will initially be furnished to students at no cost.
· Students are required to wear school issued lanyards only.
· Lost or stolen badges must be immediately reported to the main office.
· Lost or stolen badges must be replaced at a cost of $5.00 to the student.
· Lost or broken lanyards must be replaced at a cost of $2.00 to the student.
· Failure to adhere to the procedures regarding the badges will result in progressive disciplinary action.
HALLS – With the exception of passing classes, students must have a hall pass with the signature of their teacher indicating the reason for being out of class. Students in the hall without a signed hall pass will be considered as cutting class and will receive the penalty associated with class cutting.
TARDY TO SCHOOL - Students are expected to report to school and be in their homeroom or first academic class by 7:30 a.m. daily. Students are considered tardy to homeroom or their first academic class after 7: 30 a.m. A parent must accompany students checking in after 7:45 a.m. Students checking in after 7:45 a.m. without a parent will receive a parent conference. After receiving two (2) parent conferences, the child will receive a suspension. Late check-ins are considered unexcused with the exception of formal documentation of the following: doctor, dentist, court, death in the immediate family or other circumstances at the discretion of the administration.
TARDY TO CLASS – Students are expected to be on time to all classes. Students have five (5) minutes to travel from one class to the next. Students who arrive late to class are considered insubordinate to school policy. In order to maintain a safe environment and harmonious class transitions, the administration will issue a parent conference for insubordination. Students in the 9th grade that are late must report to the A Building Office. Students in the 10th – 12th grades must report to the D Building Office. On the third tardy and for each tardy thereafter, students will be issued a suspension. This progressive disciple process is replicated each semester.
LEAVING SCHOOL – Students in the 10th – 12th grades leaving school for any reason during the school day, must be checked out through the attendance D-Building Office by a parent or guardian notated in SMS, unless the student is enrolled in Work Based Learning and is leaving during the last period of the day. Students in the 9th grade must be checked out through the A Building Office by a parent or guardian notated in SMS. Doctor and dental appointments require the students to bring notes for such request to the attendance office prior to homeroom. Doctor’s name, should be on the note, along with the parent/guardian’s signature and telephone number. School personnel may confirm appointments. Students will be called from his/her class when parent or guardian arrives and AFTER the parent or guardian provides valid picture identification. Upon return, students must show dismissal slip for admission to classes missed. Parents/Guardians must come to the school to have their child dismissed. Dismissals will not be approved via telephone or email.
CLASS ATTENDANCE – Students are expected to attend class as scheduled. Unexcused absences will affect a student’s course grade and conduct. Suspensions are unexcused absences. Work missed for excused or unexcused absences may be made up within one (1) week after return to school. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the teacher concerning make-up work.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE – MCS views truancy as a community problem, therefore we will use intervention and collaboration in addressing this problem. One to two unexcused absences will result in a teacher phone call. Three to four unexcused absences will result in a mandatory parent conference. Five unexcused absences will result in a SART meeting. Ten unexcused absences will result in a District-wide SARB meeting. Fifteen unexcused absences will result in a referral to Juvenile Court and the District Attorney’s Office. All excused absence notes must be signed by the classroom teachers and submitted by the student to the D- Building Office between 2:15 and 2:30 on the day the excused absence note was presented.
CAMPUS VISITATIONS – All visitors must check in with the main office located in the “B” building upon their arrival on campus to obtain a visitor’s badge. Anyone not checking in could be considered trespassing and subject to being arrested.
LEAVING CAMPUS FOR LUNCH – Students are not permitted to leave campus for lunch.
STUDENT DELIVERIES – Delivery of non-school related materials to students is prohibited; i.e., flowers, balloons, etc. Any approved delivery must be delivered to the main office. This includes food brought to school by parents/guardians, except for medical reasons.
TEXTBOOKS – Students are responsible for textbooks issued to them. Lost textbooks are governed by Board of Education policy #4.401, which, in part, states that any lost or damaged book must be paid for by the student, parent, or guardian. Any new book must be replaced at 100% of the replacement price. Any used book at 75% of replacement price. Restitution must be made: (1) before new textbooks are issued or (2) report cards or diplomas issued, or (3) before processing a transfer.
WHITEHAVEN HIGH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL – Whitehaven High Leadership Council is our site governance board whose seventeen members represent five stakeholder categories… parents, teachers, students, administration and community. The council’s authority is derived from MCS Board authorization under state laws and is limited to site decision needs within the scope of its mission, MCS policies and state laws. The council’s mission is to work cooperatively for the betterment of Whitehaven High School through the process of consensus building decision making with a focus on school improvement. The council usually convenes on the 2nd Monday of each month in the school’s library, with the exceptions of June and July. The council’s bylaws are posted in the main office and are electronically available. The council‘s staggered elections occur in the month of September with the exceptions of principal (employment), chairman emeritus (honorary) and community (selected by the council in October). Members elected agree to attend MCS Site Based Management Training within six months of election and a minimum of seven council meetings annually.