Bennington High School
Home of the Bulldogs
USD #240 MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of USD #240 is to challenge and prepare all students to become responsible members of society dedicated to lifelong learning in an ever-changing world through a network of interaction among staff, students, parents and community.
BENNINGTON HIGH SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
We will provide students with educational experiences to enable them to go become contributing members of society and challenge them to become responsible, thinking decision makers.
PURPOSE of STUDENT HANDBOOK
This handbook has been prepared as a guide and is not meant to be all inclusive of all “school policy”. Interpretation of items in this handbook and those things that are not in the handbook shall be the responsibility of the building principal.
It is our desire that the school be recognized primarily, as a place of work which is done in a pleasant environment. It is our hope that those who are a part of Bennington High School will come to understand true happiness comes when we work in cooperation to create happiness. It is our wish that those who enter our doors and depart with a diploma find that they have gained much which will help them to step in the right direction. We encourage you to take part in all aspects of the school community so that you may derive maximum benefit from being a part of our school, and that you contribution will continue the excellent tradition of Bennington High School. We challenge all students at Bennington to always:
- Represent Bennington with dignity and class
- Treat the school facility with care and pride
- Respect all students and staff regardless of ethnic background, economic background, or religious background
- Make healthy life decisions concerning alcohol and drugs
- Set goal that will add meaning to your life during and after high school
- Develop a work ethic to enhance academic and extra-curicular skills
Our school will only be as good as the people that compose it. Each person must assume their share of responsibilities along with the acceptance of opportunities. The more you put into your school the more you will gain from your educational experience.
ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Wherever you are,
whatever you do,
you represent
BENNINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
BUILDING HOURS
Normal building hours are from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. Classes will begin at 8:15 am and dismiss at 3:25 pm. When students leave school in the evening it is essential they take with them the necessary books and supplies to do their homework and other assignments. Students should not expect school personnel to return to the school after hours to open the building for them. Always plan ahead. Permission from the office will be required for use of the building outside these hours.
VISITOR PERMITS
All visitors are asked to report to the office upon entering the building. Parents/guardians are always welcome. If a student wishes to bring a guest during the school day, the students need to contact the principal at least 24 hours in advance.
USD #240 BOARD OF EDUCATION
PHIL AUMICK
RICK BREMERMAN
KELLI WEBB
BERNIE REGNIER
MARK WHITESELL
MATT EHRHART
DON WEILAND
RICHARD HARLAN, SUPERINTENDENT
JANICE SCHMIDT, BOARD CLERK
CINDY REGNIER, SECRETARY
FACULTY & STAFF
Jay Macy—Principal
Rena Mick—Counselor, Cross Country & Track Coach
Rosemary Neaderhiser—Home School Specialist
Shawn Pecenka—District Technology
Lisa Everhart—HS Secretary
Sherry Wiesen—Business, Cheer Coach
Tamara Constable—Art, FCA
Craig Plottner—Vocal Music, Drama
Tim Dolloff—Math, Boys Basketball, Sophomore Sponsor
Jennifer Bartlett—Library, Jr Sponsor
Roger Duell—Science, Scholars Bowl, Freshman Sponsor
Jason Feil—Math, Athletic Director, Boys Golf
Jim Gish—Social Science
Misty Walker—Math, Jr. Sponsor
Don Wagner—English 10th & 12th, Drama
Chris Look—Industrial Technology, Assistant Football, Freshman Sponsor
Juanita Morris—English 9th & 11th , Cheer Coach, Senior Sponsor
Bob Murray—Social Science, Jr. Sponsor, Head Girls Golf
Dalen Rathbun—Body Mechanics, Assistant Football & Track Coach
Trudi Rathbun—Health/PE, Jr. Sponsor, Assistant Girls Basketball
Bill Scheef—Speech, Forensics
Matt Pickrell—Special Education, Head Football Coach
Ken Schoshke—Spanish
Gregg Tanzer—Asst Baseball Coach
Cathy Cash—Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band
Alice Simmons—Special Education
Kathy Laflen—Psychologist
Larry Fief—Head Softball Coach
Darren Rodine—Assistant Softball
TJ Trout—Assistant Boys Basketball, Assistant Track
Marva Jore—Para Educator
Marsha Taylor—Para Educator
Barb Webb—Head Cook
Candy Cole—Cook
Connie Foxhoven—Cook
Connie Weiland—Cook
Tim Boss—Head Custodian
Deb Harris—Bus Driver
Sondra Long—Bus Driver, Kindergarten Route
Judy McCready—Bus Driver
Marsha Taylor—Bus Driver
Mandy Gantenbien—Bus Driver, Kindergarten Route
Bill Ehlers—Bus Driver
Melissa Macy—Bus Driver
Kathy Krahl—Bus Driver
GRADUATION PARTICIPATION
Students must have completed all credit requirements before participating in graduation ceremonies. Additionally, all obligations such as fees and fines must be paid.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS—Seniors
Twenty-two units of earned credit are required for graduation. These credits will be earned from the following areas:
English 4 credits
Math 2 credits
(Algebra 1 taken during the 8th grade year does not count as HS credit)
Social Science 3 credits
(American History & Government required junior and senior years)
Science 2 credits
Health/Physical Education
Speech
9 credits of elective courses (any area)
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS—Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors
Twenty-four units of earned credit are required for graduation. These credits will be earned from the following areas:
English 4 credits
Math 3 credits
(Algebra 1 taken during the 8th grade year does not count as HS credit)
Social Science 3 credits
(American History & Government required junior and senior years)
Science 3 credits
Health/Physical Education
Speech
Fine Arts 1 credit (Band, Vocal, or Art)
8 credits of elective courses (any area)
KANSAS BOARD OF REGENTS QUALIFIED ADMISSIONS CURRICULUM
Students can meet the qualified admissions curriculum set forth by the Kansas Board of Regents by: achieving an ACT score of 21+; rank in top 1/3 of class; or earn a minimum of 2.0 GPA in pre-college currculum. The student should have completed the following:
4 credits of English
3 credits of Social Science
3 credits of Natural Science
3 credits of Math (Algebra 1 or above)
1 credit of Computer Technology
KANSAS SCHOLARS CURRICULUM
4 credits of English
3 credits of Social Science
3 credits of Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
3 credits of Math (Algebra 1 or above)
1 credit of Computer Technology
2 credits of Foreign Language (both units in the same language)
ENROLLMENT
All students should have pre enrolled in the spring semester; students should pay fees and make final enrollment adjustments to schedule on August 7-8, 2007. Long range academic planning is encouraged. The choices you make today regarding class enrollment can either help you or haunt you in your academic future. All students will pay a fee of $24.00, which will be the rental fee for books. The book rental fee should be taken care of on August 7-8, 2007. Teachers for each class will issue books on the first day of school, only if the rental fee is paid or other arrangements made with the office.
LAPTOP COMPUTERS
The USD #240 BOE has made laptops available to all students in grades 9-12. There will be a mandatory orientation meeting for all students and parents at the beginning of the school year. Returning students can do at enrollment, while freshman and new students to the district will be required to attend the new student and freshman orientation at the beginning of the school year. Guidelines will be discussed and contracts signed by all parties at this meeting. Each student will be required to pay in full a $48.00 insurance fee due at enrollment.
SCHEDULE CHANGES
Changes in a students classes will be made in the office. After the second day of the semester, no class may be dropped or changed except in highly unusual circumstances. Change of schedule slips are available in the counselor’s office and need to be signed by the student, parents, both instructors involved, counselor and principal.
ATTENDANCE
Compulsory Attendance K.S.A. 72-1106(d)
Required/Manditory Summer School and/or Additional Days
Additional days can be required for students in need of remedial education
or those who are subject to disciplinary measures, including excessive
absences, imposed under the local disciplinary policy. These days can be
scheduled on weekends or during the summer months. If a student is assigned
such days and fails to show up, the student is inexcusably absent for purposes of the truancy laws. K.S.A. 72-1106(d)
Students at Bennington High School will be expected to be punctual and regular in their attendance. One of the major causes of failure in secondary school is absenteeism. Employers, schools of all types, and the Armed Services are interested in the attendance record that a student has established. We believe that with each absence incurred, the student will miss certain important material, which cannot be retrieved through make-up work. Regular and punctual attendance by all students is necessary for the proper functioning of the entire school.
Attendance Policy Goals:
- Maintain a rate of absenteeism, which is as low or lower than the previous year.
- Focus the students’ attention on the importance of being in attendance.
- Develop a habit of initiative and responsibility toward attendance, which will carry over in to post-secondary education and the workplace.
POLICY:
- A call from the parent/guardian should be received by 8:15 am each day a student is absent from school. This allows the parent and school office to communicate regarding the type of absence. Students should sign in at the office following an absence. They will be given an admit slip which should be taken to those teachers whose class the student was absent from and teachers should give assignments missed at that time.
- The following absences are excused: personal illness, serious family illness, death or funeral in family, medical or dental appointments, extraordinary family hardships as approved by the principal, and family requested trips approved in advance by the principal. Students with excused absences will be given one day to complete make up assignments for each day absent. Reminder: An EXCUSED absence only means the time gone from school will not have to be made up. The student is still absent from school and will marked as an absence. All other absences are classified as unexcused.
- If a student’s absences are unexcused, they will be required to make up time missed from school. The time should be made up before and after school or those teachers whose class time was missed. If a student wants to receive credit for work missed during an unexcused absence, the work is due to the teacher immediately upon their return to school, from the unexcused absence. This also applies in the case of out of school suspensions. The student is responsible for obtaining the assignments.
- Students missing school for a school activity should not be counted as absent from school, but all class work should be made up.
- Students should not leave school grounds during the school day without permission from the office. If a student becomes ill or has any other emergency, they should report to the office to seek assistance and permission to leave the building.
- Students absent from school (except school sponsored trips) they will not practice, participate in, or attend any school sponsored activities unless permission is obtained from building principal prior to the event.
- Junior and senior students will be allowed two days to visit a school of higher education. Arrangements must be made through the counselor and high school office. The visits should be taken prior to May 1.
- Students at Bennington High School are expected to take final examinations the last two days of the school year. These final exams will be counted as percentage of the final grade. Students who have accumulated five or less absences during the year or have an “A” in the class will be excused from taking the final examinations. Students with office referrals, suspensions, excessive tardies, etc during the school year may have the exemptions revoked.
TARDIES
Timely arrival at school is a very important habit to develop. A student is tardy if they are not in the classroom when the bell rings at 8:15 am. Late arrivals after 8:30 am will be counted as absences and not recorded as a tardy. A student will not be counted tardy if he/she has an admit slip signed by a school employee. A student will be allowed five-first class tardies per semester, with detention only. See ISS chart for details.
The classroom teacher will handle tardies for classes which are not the first class of the day.
PERMISSION TO LEAVE SCHOOL
No students should leave the premises during school hours without permission of the principal, granted by written or telephoned request of the parents/guardians, or for good cause known to the principal and honored with caution. Any student leaving school or arriving to school late should sign in at the office.
MEDICATION AT SCHOOL
If a student is in need of taking or keeping medication at school, the parent/guardian should contact the school office to make arrangements. It is important that medication must not be kept in the student’s locker; it will be kept under office supervision. The container should be labeled with the following information: student’s name, doctor’s name, name of drug, and dosage time/amount.
INTERQUEST K-9’S
The USD #240 board continually seeks to foster and maintain a safe environment for the students and staff of USD #240 schools. In an attempt to meet this challenge the board of education has contract with Interquest K-9’s. Interquest K-9’s will provide random searches of our school grounds throughout the 2005-06 school year. These searches are random and will be preformed by non-aggressive certified dogs and register handlers. Violations, which might be discovered during the search, will be subject to consequences as described in the school handbook and all mandates required by Kansas and Federal Laws. The school will work in full cooperation with the Ottawa County sheriffs department if such action is necessary.
STUDENT BEHAVIOR
For any organization, such as a high school, to meet its obligation and live up to the expectations there must be certain standards met. School discipline is essential for orderly school climate is to be maintained. Rules of conduct are made for the benefit of the entire student body and if any student feels that these rules are unjust, he or she should seek an orderly change through correct channels of student government. Without school discipline, we would be left with complete chaos.
The State of Kansas permits the suspending or expelling of any student for “just cause”. It is our hope that it will not be necessary to exercise this option, but it should be understood that if it seems to be for the best interest of the student and/or student body as a whole, it would be done. Student conduct while attending school or school activities reflects each student’s character and background. Always remember to respect yourself, your school, your parents, and the school’s staff. A few of the policies and rules of conduct which students need to be aware of:
- Each teacher has full authority over all students in the classroom, any place in the building, on school grounds, and at any school activity, home or away.
- Each teacher has full authority in his/her classroom, and only when necessary will the principal be called on.
- Defacing of school property will not be permitted. This includes marking on desks, chairs, tables, walls, lockers, books, etc.
- A student shall not use language or exhibit actions or gestures that could reasonably be considered profane, indecent, or obscene.
- There should be no smoking or chewing of tobacco by neither students nor staff in the school building or on school grounds. Tobacco in any form will not be carried at school or school activities. Students caught carrying or using tobacco will be subject to suspension.
- Any student guilty of knowingly possessing, selling, using, transmitting, or being under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drugs on school property or school activities will be suspended. Use of drugs authorized by a medical prescription from a registered physician is not a violation of this rule.
- Students should not run in any part of the building other than the gymnasium. The stairs and hallways are not to be used as a place to lounge or sit as it restricts the flow of students, teachers, and visitors moving to and from classrooms.
- Students should carry or use radios, walkmans, cell phones or any other new or similar technological devices during school hours (8:15-3:25). Field trips or other bus trips would be an exception with sponsor permission.
PROCEDURES FOR SCHOOL CONDUCT
Students are expected to assume their share of responsibility in maintaining an atmosphere conducive to teaching/learning situations in all classes and activities in which they participate under school supervision.