Middle School Addendum to Student/Parent Handbook
 Pinecrest Schools Canyon Country Middle School
offers a co-educational, rigorous academic curriculum with an emphasis on personal
responsibility, character development and community service. In addition to
preparing students for success in high school and beyond, it is our mission
to create lifelong learners by providing a strong academic framework as well
as opportunities to pursue individual interests.
Our middle school curriculum includes a prescribed set of courses in Language
Arts, Literature, Science, Mathematics, History, the Arts, Technology, Spanish,
Physical Education and Health. School/Community Service and Character Development
are also required of all students.
As we provide the best for our students, we also expect the best from them.
Strict adherence to decorum is part of the Pinecrest Schools tradition. Behavioral
problems will be handled immediately and parents will be notified about their
student’s citizenship. Homework is given on a daily basis and may often
require parental interaction.
Finally, we encourage character development by requiring the old-fashioned
values of hard work, honesty, good citizenship, and fundamental respect for
others. This is a place where everyone must feel safe; intellectually, physically
and emotionally. Absolutely no put-downs or disregard for another’s feelings,
whether student or staff-member, will be tolerated.
This Middle School Addendum to the Parent/Student
Handbook applies to Middle
School students only and is intended to supplement the Handbook, which should
be read in conjunction herewith.
 Academic
Standards
Students must maintain a C (2.0) average in each class to remain
in good standing and receive a passing grade in the class. If a student falls
below this minimum standard, the student will be placed on Academic Probation
for a period of five weeks, and may be ineligible for athletic and/or extracurricular
activities. Any student on Academic Probation for two consecutive quarters
may be subject to dismissal from school. Students with exemplary citizenship
and earning all A’s and B’s are eligible for Honors awards and
privileges.
Disciplinary Standards
Violations of school or classroom policies will result in detention,
which may be given by teachers, coaches and supervisory staff, the principal
or the director. A record of all students’ detentions will be kept by
the homeroom teacher. On-going violations of school policies or excessive detentions
will result in Disciplinary Action as listed on page 4. Repeated Disciplinary
Action may result in Disciplinary Probation. A parent conference will be scheduled
and both the parents and the student will be required to sign a contract for
improvement. This contract will serve as notice of possible dismissal from
school unless the inappropriate behavior is corrected.
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Attendance Policy
 The campus opens at 6:00 a.m. for childcare. School starts at
8:30 a.m. and concludes at 3:30 p.m. Any student arriving after 8:30 a.m. must
check in at the office for a late slip and admittance to class. As a general
rule, regular and punctual attendance is mandatory for all Pinecrest Schools
students.
Regular attendance is necessary for academic success and students are required
to be in school for the entire day. Absences for personal illness are excusable.
Parents must call the main office if their child will not attend on a particular
day. Students are responsible for obtaining and making up all work missed while
absent. If your child is absent from school, we allow an extra day for each
day absent to make up work. You may call the school by 10:00 a.m. and request
the day’s assignments. They will be ready for pick up in the office at
3:00 p.m.
Students must remain on campus until picked up by a parent or other authorized
person unless they have written permission to leave from their parent or guardian.
Students must be signed out in the office when leaving before 3:30 p.m. The
campus closes at 6:30 p.m. A fee of $1.00 per minute is charged after 6:30
p.m.
Academics
The academic year is divided into four quarters. At the end of
each quarter a report card is sent home and is part of the student’s
permanent record. Every five weeks progress reports are sent home for all students.
These five-week reports are not part of the student’s cumulative file.
Grades are based on class work, tests, class participation and homework. Excessive
absences and/or tardiness may seriously affect a student’s average.
Each student is responsible for his/her own assignment notebook which must
be used in each class. Assignments for each class should take approximately
30 minutes per subject to complete. If a student is spending considerably longer
doing homework, please notify us. The problem could be unfinished class work
or a misunderstanding of the assignment itself.
All written assignments are to have the student’s name, date, and class
placed in the top right-hand corner. Heading is to be on the top line of the
paper. Heading is the assignment, page(s), and problems. All work is to be
neatly written or typed, as assigned by the teacher. All work is required to
be completed and turned in on time.
Homework for Middle School students, plus long-term assignments, will be posted
on the website under “School Information”.
Citizenship Policy
The registration of a student at Pinecrest Schools Canyon Country
is an expressed agreement on the part of the student and the part of that student’s
parents or guardians to observe these behavioral standards. The school reserves
the right to review unsatisfactory conduct and impose disciplinary probation,
suspension, or dismissal should this be justified.
All members of the school community should contribute to a positive, caring
environment. This is a general expectation of all students. The following specific
codes of behavior reflect this general concern for the school community.
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Students are expected to be on campus at all times during
the school day.
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Students should arrive to class on time, with all necessary
materials (books,
paper, pens, pencils, etc.) daily.
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Students should enter class in
an orderly manner with uniform properly worn.
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Students should treat
both their teachers and classmates with respect.
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Students are expected
to behave in a manner conducive to learning.
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Students should leave food
and drinks (except water) outside.
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Students should help maintain a clean
campus at all times.
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Students should not chew gum anywhere on campus.
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The same
behavior expected of students while on campus is also expected of them
while on field trips, sporting events
and at other school-sponsored activities.
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Students should assemble
for assemblies and other school events or fire drills in an orderly
fashion.
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Grounds for Detention
Grounds for detention may include, but are not limited to the following:
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Excessive tardiness
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Uniform violations or unacceptable appearance
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Leaving campus
without permission
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Causing a disturbance in class
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Littering on campus
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Bad or inappropriate language or cursing
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Fighting or aggressive
behavior injurious to others
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Rude and discourteous to teachers or peers
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Teasing or name-calling
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Sexual nuances or behavior
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Bullying or group antagonism
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Failure to listen and follow
directions of yard supervisors and coaches
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Disrespect of school property
or others’ property
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Stealing
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Lying or cheating
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Opening/distributing/occupying others’ lockers
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Defiance
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Excessive unpreparedness
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Any other minor conduct violation
for which a student is referred to the principal
Repeated offenses may require the following consequences:
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Parent
signature
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30 minute or 45 minute after school detention
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Loss of school
privileges
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1 day in-school suspension (All class work must be completed.
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Parent conference
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1 day at-home suspension (All class work
must be completed.)
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Disciplinary probation
Grounds for Suspension
Students who are suspended may not come to school, may not attend
classes, may not attend practices or rehearsals and may not attend or participate
in any school-sponsored activities. They will, for the time they are suspended,
be the direct responsibility of their parents. Suspended students will be responsible
for all homework assigned in their absence and for all notes and other subject
matter given out in class. Grounds for suspension may include, but are not
limited to the following:
Fighting or threat of physical violence Racial, religious,
or sexual slurs Throwing anything on campus, which could cause injury
or damage Profanity, obscenity, or vulgarity Use or possession of
tobacco on campus or at any school function Disrespectful behavior or
language Plagiarism or cheating of any kind Repeated offences of
any kind
Grounds for Dismissal
It is not possible to describe all conduct that might mandate a dismissal;
grounds for dismissal include, but are not limited to the following:
Possession, or use of liquor, dangerous or illegal drugs
(i.e., federally-controlled), or legal drugs not prescribed for the
student at
school or at any event sponsored by Pinecrest Schools Canyon Country
or another school Use or possession of any dangerous weapon Violation of federal,
state, or local ordinances
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Public Displays of Affection
Public displays of affection are not allowed at school or at school functions.
Public displays of affection are grounds for detention and, if excessive,
grounds for suspension. Some examples of public displays of affection are
holding hands, kissing, etc.
Dress Code Policy
 Pinecrest Schools recognizes that a person’s appearance
is indicative of their positive self-image and the ability to be self-disciplined.
What is appropriate, however, in recreational or leisure situations may
not be appropriate in a school environment. Pinecrest Schools requires
that a student come to school clean, well groomed, and with their clothing
laundered and in good condition. The school has used the following guidelines
in determining the Pinecrest Schools uniform dress code:
The dress code is designed to minimize fashion competition
among students and reflect their readiness for academic learning The appearance
of the student will not reflect any connections to groups
contrary to the policies, philosophy and goals of Pinecrest Schools
Canyon Country (i.e., gangs, gang-like groups)
The school recognizes that the parents are the primary
persons responsible in seeing that their son/daughter is clean, groomed,
and dressed correctly for school. The following are the guidelines
used by Pinecrest Schools Canyon Country:
All clothing must be of proper size and fit Shirts – Collared, Navy Blue, Hunter
Green, Burgundy, White, Light Blue, Gray or Black with Pinecrest Middle
School logo. Turtleneck, crew or tee shirts may be worn under a uniform
shirt. Pants/Shorts/Capris/Skirts – Khaki
or Navy Blue only. Boys may not wear shorts lower than 2” below their
knees and girls may not wear shorts or skirts higher than 2” above
their knees. Sweatshirts/Jackets/Sweaters – Pinecrest
or standard solid colored sweatshirts or sweaters in Navy Blue, Burgundy,
Hunter Green, White, Gray or Black. Any Pinecrest Schools sweatshirt or
jacket is preferred. Shoes – Athletic shoes, loafers,
top-siders or dress shoes must be worn at all times. All shoes must be
closed-toe and closed-heel. Shoes that can be laced must be laced and tied
at all times. Socks must be worn at all times. No roller-skates/blades
or “heelies” are allowed. Hair/Hats – Student’s hair
is to be neat and conservative in style. Hair must be clean and well groomed
and of natural color, with no extremes in coloring or tinting. Baseball-type
caps in solid “Pinecrest” colors (No slogans, ads, or logos)
or Pinecrest sports caps may be work outside only with bill forward. Jewelry/Make-up – Jewelry and make-up
are to be worn in moderation. No visible body piercing is allowed other
than earrings. Free Dress Day – Items listed may
not be worn: Crop tops, baggy or over-sized clothing, thermal underwear,
skin-tight apparel, see-through apparel, lingerie-type apparel, military/work
boots or athletic tights or leggings. When in doubt, call the office.
The Dress Code is in effect for all school-sponsored field trips taking
place during school hours.
Consequences for Dress Code Violations
A student who is out of dress code and is unable to
correct their dress may be sent home and/or not be able to attend
classes until his/her dress is corrected.
Middle School Areas and Playground Rules
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Play in supervised areas only. No playing
in bathrooms.
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No Pokemon, YuGiOh or trading cards (of
any type), radios, or Gameboys on the playground or in classrooms.
They will be confiscated.
Specific days or times may be dedicated to playing cards or Gameboy use.
Notices will
go home to students. Trading cards and Gameboys are not permitted
in classrooms at any time.
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No one is allowed on the yard until 7:00 a.m.
Children should keep backpacks in the Middle School Area at all
times.
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When the bell rings at 8:25 a.m., it is time
to line up at your classroom door.
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No children
are allowed in either the teachers’ lounge or the Coaches’ office
without specific permission.
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Children who
arrive between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. must go directly
to the Multi Purpose Room.
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No running through the other yards.
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All students
must have a pass to go to the office.
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No tag football, wrestling,
or play fighting allowed at any time.
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No skating or skateboarding
on campus.
Cell Phones
Cell phones may be used after school only. Cell phones and
pagers will be taken away from students who bring them to class or use
them at any other time. No inappropriate use of telephones will be tolerated.
Emergency Procedures
During an emergency, students and staff make their way in
an orderly quiet fashion to a designated safe location. In the event of
an earthquake or fire students are to walk with their class to the sports
field. The school is prepared to care for students in time of critical
situations. We have several staff members with first-aid certificates as
well as food, water and emergency supplies.
Please be sure to keep all emergency contacts up-to-date!
The school is prepared to care for students in time of critical situations.
We have several staff members with first-aid certificates as well as food,
water and emergency supplies.
Visitors
All visitors and volunteers must sign in and receive a visitors’ pass
from the office.
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