Guidance and Counseling
The school counselors are available to
all students and parents for help with personal, social, and academic
issues. Registrations, withdrawals,
requests for schedule changes, requests for academic testing, coordination of
standardized testing, and career planning are also responsibilities of the
school counselors. The school counselors
are available to students anytime during the school day. Students may request a pass from the
counselors and/or get the permission of the teacher in charge to visit the
counselors’ office. Parents can contact
your child’s school counselor to discuss a concern or make an appointment. Mrs. Heather Kulp is the counselor for 5th
grade and the 6M team and can be reached at (610) 682-5115. Mr. Larry Schumacher is the counselor for the
6G team, 7th grade and 8th grade and can be reached at
(610) 682-5132.
The Student Assistance Program (SAP)
The SAP team seeks to help students who
are experiencing serious emotional concerns or any type of drug or alcohol
related problem. Many services are
available to students through the school district as well as through outside
agencies.
Peer Mediation
Peer mediation is a process whereby
students who have been trained in peaceful conflict resolution assist fellow
students in working through problems.
Disputants meet together with a trained team of mediators to listen to each other and
mutually establish a way to resolve the existing problem. The skills involved in learning how to
peacefully resolve conflicts provide a
valuable model to apply throughout one’s lifetime.
Library
The purpose of the school library is to
provide resource based support to students.
Students may use the library not only for their research needs but also
for leisure reading as well.
Most library resources circulate on a two
week basis. Reference, current
periodicals and materials placed on reserve, circulate overnight. Materials not returned to the library by the
end of the school day on the date they are due are considered overdue. Fines are charged as follows: $0.05 for each day an item is overdue; $0.25
for each day an overnight item is overdue.
The maximum fine per item is $3.00
Report cards will be withheld each quarter
for students with outstanding library fines until the obligation is
cleared. Students will be billed for the
replacement cost of any book lost while checked out to them.
Computer Lab
BHMS has 4 computer labs that all students
will use during the course of their middle school experience. Students may sign up to use the lab during
activity period to work on assignments, enhance presentations, explore the web
and do research. Instruction on the use
of computers is a part of the BHMS curriculum.
At all times, students must follow the district Acceptable Use Plan
(AUP)
when working with computers. See page 20 for details.
Academic Support
Students may seek additional support or
academic assistance by contacting their teachers and arranging for tutoring during
activity period. Students who fail a
course for a quarter will be assigned tutoring in place of their chosen
activity until they are maintaining a passing grade. After school tutoring and homework club are
also available and can be arranged through the guidance office.
Clubs and Activities
The middle grades are a time when students
begin to explore their world and may become interested in many different
topics. In order to provide exploration
of new experiences and/or develop talents in special areas BHMS offers a
variety of clubs and special activities for students to explore. There are also many athletic teams and
intramural sports that students may become involved in. We encourage students to become involved in
these co-curricular activities.
School Publications
The Bulletin, is the Middle
School newspaper produced by students. There are six to eight issues per
year.
The Pipeline is a monthly newsletter for
parents. It is distributed to students
to take home and also put on our website.
BHMS produces a yearbook each year. All
interested students may purchase this pictorial memory book in the beginning of
the year. Yearbooks are distributed at
the end of your school year.
Student Council
BHMS student council members are selected
from the applicants that complete an application and receive teacher
endorsement. This student leadership
organization has the following responsibilities:
1. Participates
in or manages extracurricular activities
2. Develops
student responsibility, initiative, leadership and school pride
3. Promotes the
welfare of the school through proper student faculty relationships
4. Provides for
pupil expression
5. Furnishes a
working model of government
The
2007 - 2008 Student Council Officers are:
President
……..…….. Kaitlyn Spangler
Vice
President………. Tyler Carter
Secretary
……………. Kira Marzoli
Treasurer
…………… Katie Davis
Lost and Found
Students who find articles that do not
belong to them are asked to turn them in at the office, where the owner can
claim them. Students’ articles that are
lost and/or suspected to be stolen are to be reported in the office the day the
article is discovered missing. All
unclaimed items in Lost and Found will be discarded at the end of June.
Telephones
Students will be permitted to use the
office telephone only in the case of an emergency as authorized by a
professional staff member. Classroom
phones are for the teacher’s use and are not to be used by students.
STUDENT INFORMATION
Dress Philosophy
The students of this school district shall
dress and groom themselves:
1. In a manner
that is both tasteful and respectful.
2. In a manner
which will preclude any interference with the classroom instruction and the
efficient operation of the school.
3. In a manner,
which complies with the health and sanitary standards, required, necessary or
desirable for a community or an education environment.
4. In a manner
that complies with all safety regulations set forth by this school and by local
and state governments. When representing
5. As our school
district wants to ensure a learning environment with minimal distractions, the
guidelines that will apply in the middle school setting include but are not
limited to such things as:
Dress Code
SECTION I GENERAL
SECTION II TOPS
SECTION III PANTS/SHORTS/SKIRTS/SKORTS
SECTION IV OFFENSIVE
DRESS
1. Clothing, patches, buttons, pins, jewelry, backpacks
and exposed tattoos are not permitted if they:
a. Have sexually suggestive writing/pictures
b. Advocate violence
c. Advertise or promote the use of tobacco, alcohol or
drugs
d. Have innuendos or obscene language
e. Are disrespectful
SECTION V FOOTWEAR
SECTION VI JEWELRY
SECION VII HEADWEAR
1. Hats, caps, bandanas, sunglasses, visors, sweatbands,
and other head coverings are not permitted.
SECTION VIII HEALTH
AND HYGIENE
These rules and procedures have been
developed according to the Board policy regarding student dress and
grooming. However, solutions to
situations not specifically covered are the responsibility of building level
Administrators. Appropriate decisions
will be made based on the intent and spirit of board policy. Students and parents are expected to exercise
careful judgment in the selection of appropriate attire for school. This will
help prepare students for appropriate dress and appearance expectations as they
advance from the school environment and begin facing adult responsibilities.
Discretion is left to the building
administrator to temporarily amend the dress code regulations depending on the
specific occurrences within the school day; field trips, special
events/activities, extreme temperatures, and other circumstances where the
required dress code adherence would not be conducive to the learning environment. In the middle school, with the exception of
pool day, this dress code will be followed on all school days and activities.
Grading System
All student
grades will be recorded as numerical percentages. A percentage of 70 or higher is a passing
grade. If students earn an average below
55% for the first, second or third marking period, a minimum grade of 55 will
be listed on the report card rather than the actual average earned. For the mid-term exam, final exam and fourth
quarter, all recorded report card grades will represent the actual grade earned
by the student.
There
are two honor rolls in the Middle School.
To qualify, a student must achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 3.25
or better for Honors status. Students who receive a GPA of 3.85 or
better will be placed on the Distinguished Honor Roll.
Report Cards
Reports on the progress of the student’s
academic work are issued four times at nine-week intervals. Any questions concerning the report card
should be directed to the appropriate middle school counselor. Parents may review a student’s records by
making an appointment with the guidance counselor. Report cards will be held for any students
who have outstanding obligations until the obligations are met.
Interim Reports
During each of the four marking periods, a
notice will be sent to the parents of students who, at any time between the
second week and the end of the eighth week, are in danger of failing the
quarter. A separate report will be sent
for each subject concerned. A carbon
copy will be sent to the guidance office to be filed in the student’s
folder. This procedure is designed to
enlist the cooperative efforts of parents; students and teachers in helping the
student achieve his/her full potential.
and Advancement
I.E.P. teams develop recommendations for
handicapped students. For
non-handicapped students decisions related to acceleration, enrichment and
advancement should be the function of a building level team. The team should include, but not be limited
to parents, teachers, students and guidance counselors. The criteria used for
evaluation by the team will include but not be limited to:
1. Options Program (Student grades, pre-
requisite(s), etc.)
2. Standardized test scores
3. Teacher Recommendation Checklist(s)
4.
Parent Recommendation Checklist(s)
Remedial
If any core academic subjects are failed,
the administration strongly advises that they be made up in summer school
immediately following the closing of the school year in which the subject was
failed.
Each year at the close of the regular
session some pupils may be confronted with potential failure in various
subjects. Students who fail two core
classes for the year must make up at least one of those courses over the summer
in order to advance to the next grade level.
The guidance counselor talks with each student concerning makeup work
or, if necessary, repeating the year.
Credit will not be given for work unless the summer school has been
approved by the administration, or in the case of a private tutor, approval of
any arrangements shall be received from the principal. It is not enough to make up work with a
certified teacher. The teacher must be
certified in the particular subject studied in order for the student to receive
credit. At least 36 hours, reported by
the remedial teacher in the form of a log, shall be spent in receiving private
instruction in a course previously failed.
The student shall be required to pass an examination administered by the
school before credit is given. A grade
of 70% must be received in a summer course before
A minimum of 60 clock hours by a private
tutor and a 70% on a school-administered examination is required to receive
full credit for a course not previously studied. Students satisfactorily completing these
courses will receive the minimum passing grade on their permanent record.
Student Transfer
As soon as a student is aware that he/she
will be transferring to another school, he/she should stop in the guidance
office. Arrangements will be made to
sign out of
Student Admission
New students or students who have been out
of school for 10 or more days are requested to stop in the guidance
office. Schedules will be prepared,
records sent for, and the teachers notified of any change in the status of a
student who has been ill or injured.
Student Visitors
Students wishing to bring other enrolled
school age students as visitors must complete the Visitors Application
Form. The form is available in the
office. It must be submitted ten days in
advance of their visitation. Approval is
granted at the discretion of the principal or her designee.
Building Hours
Middle School office hours are
Buses will drop students off in front of the
building. Parents who bring students to
school should follow the traffic pattern and drop students off in front of the
building. No students should arrive at school prior to
Students who ride their bikes to school must
park them in the bike rack.
All students or groups of students
remaining in the building after dismissal must be supervised by a member of the
faculty, their co-curricular advisor or coach.
Maintenance personnel are not to assume this responsibility.
Early Dismissal
If a student must leave school early for
an appointment, he/she must present to the office, in the morning before school
starts, a written note from his/her parent or guardian. The written note must contain the date, time
of dismissal, the name of the person who will be picking the child up, a valid
reason for the early dismissal, and the signature of the parent or
guardian. “PERSONAL REASON(S)” is not a valid
reason. Parents may be called if an
excuse is in question. The person who
will be picking up the child must report to the Middle School Office to meet
the child at the specified dismissal time.
School Closing
In
the event of inclement weather or mechanical breakdown, school may be closed or
the starting time delayed. School
closing, delayed starting time or early dismissal will be announced over the
radio and TV. If no report is heard, it
can be assumed that school will be in regular session. Please
do not call the school. Telephone
lines must be kept open for emergencies.
School cancellations may alter the school calendar with respect to
required days of attendance.
School Attendance Regulations
According to the Pennsylvania School Code,
all children between the ages of 8 and 16 are required to attend school. Therefore, attendance in school is extremely
important, and consequences of unexcused absences from school will be severe
and may include citation and fines. With
this in mind, the school district requires that TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR A
YEAR’S WORK, A STUDENT WOULD HAVE TO BE IN ATTENDANCE 162 DAYS. The absences listed below will be considered
EXEMPT from this policy, when accompanied by correct documentation:
·
doctor’s or dentist’s written excuse
·
approved medical or dental appointments
·
school authorized field trips or activities
·
school related athletic events
·
approved educational travel
·
suspension from school
·
personal bereavement
·
religious holidays
·
approved emergency
Remember-There
are Three types of absences:
1.
Exempt - Absences listed above when accompanied by the correct
documentation. These absences are not
counted when determining whether the student is out of compliance with the
state attendance laws.
2.
Non-exempt - absences
that are accompanied with a written excuse blank from the parent or guardian within three (3) days of the absence. These are legal absences, but are counted
towards the 18-day limit.
3.
Illegal - An absence,
which is not accompanied by a written excuse signed by parents within three (3) days of the absence. The district justice may levy a fine of
up to $300 a day for illegal absences.
It
is the students’ responsibility to know and account for his/her absence record. The following is the sequential procedure for
dealing with student absences.
1. After 5 days
of non-exempt absence: student conference, notice mailed to parent with the
dates and total number of non-exempt absences listed
2. After 10 days:
student conference, notice sent to parents certified mail with the dates and
total number of non-exempt absences listed.
3. After 15 days:
student conference, notice sent to parents certified mail with the dates and
total number of non-exempt absences listed and
notice of
consequences when non-exempt absences exceed 18 for the year.
4. After 18 days:
Student conference, a notice sent to parents, by registered mail, of their
child’s impending loss of credit for courses.
A parent conference will be necessary to inform the parent as to the
number and dates of non-exempt absences and also consequences of additional
absences.
If it is necessary for a pupil to remain
out of school for one or more days due to illness or any other excusable
reason, an excuse note for the absence should be turned in to their homeroom
teacher on the day he/she returns to school.
In the event a student forgets an excuse note on the first day back to
school he/she will be given two additional days to bring the excuse note to
their homeroom teacher. If the student fails to return an excuse
note within 3 days from the date of absence, the absence will become an illegal
absence. This procedure is
targeted at helping students become more responsible and independent in looking
after their own needs. The school has a
legal responsibility to receive written excuse notes for every absence a student
might have. The student is responsible
for obtaining the note from parents, bringing that note to the school, and
giving it to his/her homeroom teacher.
The responsibility to complete these tasks falls more in the hands of
the parent in elementary school and will turn more completely over to the
student in the high school. In middle
school it is our wish to help your child learn responsibility, develop
independence and recognize that choices have consequences. The middle school consequences for illegal
absences will be a 2.2% deduction from a student’s marking period report card grade
for each excuse blank not turned in within the three day time period. After the
third unlawful absence the school district may take legal action toward truancy.
When your Child is Absent
1. Parents are
required to call the attendance phone line, (610) 682-5121, before
2. Leave message
stating your name, your child’s name, the date and the reason for the absence. This phone call does not take the place of a
written excuse. The school district is
required by law to receive a written excuse with a parent signature.
3. If your child
is absent and you do not report to the school, a call will be made home to
inform you of the absence.
4. Upon your
child’s return to school, a written excuse blank with a parent signature, date,
and reason for the absence must be submitted.
Steps Following an Absence
When you have
been absent, do the following:
1. Students should request an excuse blank
from their homeroom teacher when they return to school.
2. Have your parent or guardian fill in the excuse blank, or
write an excuse giving your name, today’s date, date(s) of absence, reason for
the absence and his/her signature
3. Present your
excuse to your homeroom teacher within three
days of your absence.
Parents should give prior notification to
the office of any hospitalization or other extended absence so that
arrangements may be made to keep students in step with their academic
requirements.
Late Arrival Policy
Students who arrive at school between
Late to Class Policy
It is the responsibility of every student
to be on time to all classes. Therefore,
any student late to class or homeroom, without an acceptable admission pass,
will be warned by the teacher. On the third
lateness, the student will be referred to the office to discuss consequences of
additional tardies.
Educational Experiences
There are many experiences outside of the
school setting that provide educational benefit to students such as, travel,
take your child to work or career shadowing.
Should these experiences be available to students during regular school
days, parents need to request school approval.
All requests for educational experience must be approved by the
Superintendent and principal prior to the extended absence. The parent should pick up an educational
travel request form from the office, fill in the necessary information and
return it to the principal 10 days prior
to the trip. The superintendent will
respond to your request through the mail.
Students going on an educational trip must write a brief report related
to their educational experience and submit it to the principal within two weeks
of their return to school.
Student Activity Nights
Activity nights are open to all
Textbooks
All textbooks are loaned to students for
their use during the school year. Students are responsible for all textbooks
that they have signed for. Students will
be charged for all textbooks that are not returned due to their loss or theft.
Restitution must be made prior to the end of the school year or the student
will not receive their final report card.
Students may be fined for damage to textbooks beyond normal wear and
tear.
Student Lockers and Locks
The homeroom teacher assigns student
lockers during the first week of school.
Every student is issued a locker so there is no reason to share. Sharing lockers or combinations often leads
to problems. It is the student’s
responsibility to maintain his/her locker for the school year. Lockers
are school property and may be opened and searched by school administrators if
necessary.
Backpacks and Outside Coats
All students are to leave coats and
backpacks in their lockers during school hours.
Any exceptions to this rule must be approved by administration.
Behavioral Policy
One of the main goals of education is to
help students learn self-discipline.
Self-discipline is an essential part of the educational process. It is the foundation upon which a learning
environment is established. The behavior
of each student has a great deal to do with the ability of teachers to help
students fulfill their educational needs.
Therefore, it is expected that students will assist in establishing a
good learning environment by adhering to the rules and regulations of the
district’s behavioral code.
Detention
Detention after school may be required of
students. An individual teacher may keep
a student/students after school for detention, for disciplinary reasons, with
the understanding that the parents are notified three days in advance.
The building administrator(s) may also
assign detention when the student’s behavior warrants such action. In both cases it is the responsibility of the
parents to provide their child with transportation from school to their
home. Parents will be notified in
advance if their child must serve detention in order that adequate
transportation plans can be made. If the
student has a valid reason to miss a detention (see page 15), it is the
responsibility of the parent to notify the administrator or teacher at least one day in advance. If an administrative detention is missed
without prior notification, it will be considered a cut and consequenced
according to the discipline code (see page 16).
Possession of Weapons and Assault
This policy has the purpose of prohibiting
students from being in possession of weapons on school property and providing
procedures for investigation and notification in the event of a report of or
suspicion of the presence of a weapon on school property.
Weapons should include but not be limited
to: loaded or unloaded firearms (including any pellet guns, B.B. guns or
look-alike firearms); a knife, metal knuckles or artificial knuckles of any
kind, cutting instrument, cutting tool, num-chuck stick, straight razor,
explosives, firecrackers, noxious, irritating or poisonous gases, poisons,
slingshot, or any other tool, instrument, implement or chemical capable of
inflicting serious bodily injury or death.
A student is deemed to be in possession of
any illegal and/or banned item(s) under this policy when such item(s) is found
on the person of the student, or under his/her control (including lockers), on
property being used by the school or at any school function, or activity, or
any school event held away from the school, or while the students is on his/her
way to or from school.
Any student found in possession of or transporting a weapon during school hours or activities on school property, reg