Welcome to Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School! Whether you are a new or returning student, be assured that the teachers, administrators and staff in this building are committed to making your experience here one that provides the opportunity for you to reach your fullest potential, both inside and outside the classroom.

Everyone who attends school or who works here is expected to show respect for one another at all times. Using manners on a daily basis, accepting and tolerating the differences of those around you, and avoiding negative and destructive behaviors are all ways that respect is displayed. A public school should be a place of peace where all persons are welcomed and feel comfortable.

The purpose of this handbook is to ensure that you know and understand the policies, procedures, expectations and guidelines that make this school operate in a smooth and effective manner. We ask that parents and their students make the time to sit down and read through this handbook together. Please call us if you have questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Jeff Starwalt, Principal and Heather Landrus, Assistant Principal

Disclaimer: This handbook is not intended to create a contractual relationship with the student; rather, it is intended to describe the school, its current practices, procedures, rules, and regulations (or code of conduct) which may be subject to change based upon administrative or Board of Education action.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School is to provide a respectful, caring, and positive environment that fosters the development of academic skills, responsibility, and independence.

STUDENTS COMPLETING 8^TH GRADE AT MAHOMET-SEYMOUR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ARE EXPECTED TO:

Recognize the importance of learning and education.
Possess knowledge and academic skills necessary to succeed in high school.
Demonstrate study and organizational skills.
Consistently put forth their best effort.
Communicate effectively.
Show kindness and courtesy when interacting with others.
Resist negative peer pressure.
Exhibit responsibility and independence.
Be aware of career opportunities.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MAHOMET-SEYMOUR JR. HIGH SCHOOL

The Junior High School will have about 660 students enrolled this year. Students are scheduled into a 10 period days with 38 minutes in each period. All students have 7 periods of required courses, one period of electives (band, chorus, both or neither) one study hall or a foreign language in 7^th and 8^th grade, (if students qualify) and one lunch period.

For bus riders, the school day begins when the student arrives at the bus stop in the morning and ends when the student exits the school bus in the afternoon. For students who do not ride the bus, the school day begins when they arrive on school premises and ends when the student has left school grounds in the afternoon. Once a student has arrived on school grounds, he/she is not permitted to leave the premises without permission. All Mahomet-Seymour schools have closed campuses. Classes begin at the Junior High at 8:20 a.m. and end at 3:17 p.m.

The movement of this many students and teachers throughout the building during the day is a monumental task! From the time you arrive in the morning until you leave in the afternoon, you are expected to follow a few basic rules, the sole purpose of which are to promote safety and respect among all people in the building.

The first few days of school, you should become familiar with:

The daily schedule of the school
Your individual schedule
The location of your classrooms, the office and your locker
The combination of your hall and PE locker
Information in this Student/Parent Handbook.

These are some important tips for the first few days of school:

Please carry your schedule with you for the first few weeks of school. If you lose your copy, come to the office and we will get you another copy of your schedule.
PLAN on being ON TIME and IN ATTENDANCE every day.
ASK for help if you don’t understand something—all teachers and teacher aides in the building are happy to help you.

MSJH ATTENDANCE POLICY

The progress and success of each student depends to a great degree upon regular attendance at school, for the entire school day. Good attendance is an employability skill that adolescents should become familiar with and practice. Strict enforcement of attendance is one way of teaching and reinforcing these concepts. Regular attendance is necessary to insure maximum educational benefits. A student who is not present in school is not learning. Because excessive absences from class result in a lack of participation and interaction by the student with the teacher and class, Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School adheres to the following attendance policy.

1. Reporting of absences:

If a student is absent from school, the parent/guardian must telephone the office (586-4415) between 7:15 and 9:30 a.m. on the day of the absence to state the reason for the student's absence (notes are not accepted). Parents who cannot call between the hours listed above may call our 24-hour answering service to report the absence. The parent/guardian must call in each day the student is absent unless previous arrangements have been made. If the parent/guardian does not call in by 9:30 a.m., the attendance secretary will attempt to reach the parent/guardian to find out the reason why the student is absent. If no contact is made with the parent/guardian on the day of the student absence, the administration may classify the absence as unexcused.

2. The determination as to whether a student absence is excused or unexcused will be made by the administration of MSJH.

The Eight (8) Day Excused Absence Policy

Students who accumulate more than 8 days of absences per semester must provide proof of the nature of the excused absence, in the form of a note from a doctor, in order for the absence to be considered excused. Failure to do so will result in the absence being considered unexcused, and the student will receive no credit for the work that is missed. Without providing proof, future absences will not allow make-up work credit and therefore will seriously jeopardize the student's grades.

Valid reasons for excused absences:

Illness of the student/family
Unavoidable accident or emergency
Anticipated absence with administrative approval prior to the absence, such as:
- Special religious holidays
- Other special circumstances as determined by the administration

Excused absences NOT counted in the Eight Day Policy:

School field trips
Religious leaves
Medical appointments, with written proof from the doctor
Funeral for family members
Court appearances, with written proof from court
Extended serious/critical illness of student/family member
Suspensions for disciplinary reasons
Other absences as determined by the administration

3. Release for appointments

MSJH strongly encourages parents to make appointments for their students during times that do not conflict with school and instructional time. Students will only be released to parents/guardians.

In order to be excused for an appointment, the following procedure must be followed:

Prior to the appointment, the student's parent/guardian should call (no notes accepted) the office at 586-4415 and give the following information:

Name and grade of student
Time of appointment
Type of appointment
Time to be released from school
Approximate time of return to school

On the day of the appointment, students should come to the office after the 8:10 a.m. bell to receive a pass in order to be excused from class at the time of the appointment. The parent/guardian must sign the student out through the office. When the student returns, they must sign back in through the office, with a written statement from the doctor verifying the appointment.

All appointments that are unverified by written proof from a doctor will be considered unexcused. Students may not make up school work missed due to an unexcused absence.

4. Illness at school

If a student becomes ill while at school, they must come to the office to use the phone to contact a parent/guardian. Students may not use the phones in the classrooms or the pay phone for the purposes of calling home when ill.

5. Unexcused absences

All absences that are not classified above are considered unexcused absences. Students shall receive no credit for work missed due to unexcused absences. Students who accumulate more than five (5) unexcused absences in one class will be required to have a parent/teacher/administrator conference to determine a plan of action to improve attendance. Students can also be referred to the Regional Office of Education's Attendance Improvement program.

The following are some examples of unexcused absences:

Oversleeping
Car trouble
Unverified medical/dental appointments
Illness exceeding eight (8) days not verified by doctor
Non-emergency family related absences
Shopping trips

NOTE: Students will only be released during the school day to the parent/guardian OR to those persons listed as emergency contacts on their registration information. If students are to be signed out by someone other than the parent/guardian or emergency contact, the office needs written notification from the parent indicating who has permission to pick up and sign out their child during the school day. If there are persons to whom a child should NOT be released (i.e. non-custodial parent) we must have a legal document on file indicating to whom the child cannot be released.

A note to parents about taking trips/vacations:

Research indicates that it is not educationally sound to remove your child from school for a trip or vacation. While paperwork can be made up from being absent, your son or daughter will miss valuable interaction and contact with his/her teachers and other students. Please be aware that in many cases, your child will earn a lower grade because he/she misses valuable information that contributes to his/her overall success in the classroom. Discussions, labs, group work, projects, and demonstrations are examples of frequent instructional opportunities available in our classrooms that are incredibly important but are difficult if not impossible to replicate for students who have been absent. Student attendance days compose 176 out of 365 days in a calendar year - please utilize the remaining non-attendance days, summer, spring and winter vacations for planning your family trips/vacations.

In the event that you do choose to remove your child from school for a trip/vacation, the following policies should be followed:

You must notify the school in advance of your student's dates of absences. Please read the attendance policy thoroughly.
Teachers are not required to give out assignments ahead of the planned absences. Your student will be given make up work upon their return from the trip/vacation.

Vacations should be coordinated with the school calendar.

ACTIVITIES AT M-S JUNIOR HIGH

There are many ways for students to become involved at the Junior High School. Whether through athletics or other extracurricular events, these activities provide a safe, positive and healthy atmosphere for our students inside and outside of regular school time. Many clubs meet after school from 3:30-4:30. The fee for participation in one club is $30.00. Students may participate in an unlimited number of clubs for $60.00. Information about all of these activities can be heard on the daily announcements when the activity starts. The following is a list of the activities available to our students:

Art Club
Bulldog Pen (school newspaper)
Drama Club
Photo/Video Club
Football (Open to 7th and 8th grade students only. In order to participate in football, students must also have a current physical on file in the office, and an insurance waiver signed by the parent/guardian on file in office)
Intramural basketball (open to all students who were not members of our 7th & 8th grade interscholastic basketball teams)
Intramural volleyball (open to all students who were not members of our interscholastic teams)

ACTIVITIES (IESA)

Students are eligible for IESA sponsored activities if they meet the following requirements:

A current athletic physical is on file in the office before tryouts (not required for scholastic bowl or speech team)
A birth certificate is on file in the office
An insurance waiver has been signed by the parent/guardian and is on file in the office
The $80.00 athletic fee has been paid per activity ($160.00 maximum in the school year.) The fee for speech team and scholastic bowl is $30.00.
Students are passing all school subjects at all times. Please become familiar with the M-S CUSD #3 Extracurricular Eligibility Policy found in this handbook.
Parent or guardian has viewed the sportsmanship PowerPoint slide show

To try out for girls' and boys' basketball, girls' softball, boys' baseball, and volleyball team students must be in the 7th or 8th grade.

Cross-country, wrestling, scholastic bowl, track, and speech team are open to 6th, 7th and 8th graders.

Other rules and requirements will be established by the coaches of each sport.

7th and 8th grade cheerleaders may not participate in girls' basketball, softball, or volleyball. Tryouts for cheerleading are held in the springtime (for the next school year) and are open to 6th and 7th graders.

Extracurricular activities are a fun, productive and vital part of attending the Mahomet-Seymour Schools. It is our hope that a family's financial constraints do not prohibit a student from participating in any activity in which he/she expresses an interest. To that end, should financial considerations be an issue with regard to your child's participation in ANY extracurricular activity, please contact the building's principal to discuss scholarship opportunities.

ATHLETIC EVENT CONDUCT

All students should remember that the purpose of attending an athletic event at the Junior High is to cheer on the Bulldog athletic teams in a positive way. Good sportsmanship is required at all times by all fans. Booing is never appropriate. Inappropriate conduct by anyone will result in their removal from the event and a possible suspension from future events.

Please be aware of these other guidelines for our home athletic events:

Students are expected to stay in the bleachers until half-time or between games when the concession stand will be open.
The Mahomet-Seymour Schools are smoke-free facilities inside and outside.
Stand quietly and at attention when the National Anthem is sung/played.

Bulldog Backer Cards are available at a cost of $40.00. (Backer Cards are NOT included in the athletic fee.)

Admission to junior high sporting events, other than IESA Post-Season events is as follows: $2.00 for K-8 student and Seniors; $3.00 for high school students and adults. There is no charge for attending cross country meets and most track meets.

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROCEDURES

Before school:

All students entering the school before 8:10 a.m. must go to the Orange Gym (7th and 8th grades) or Blue Gym (6th grade).
Students may sit with their friends in the bleachers of the gym.
Students wishing to see a teacher before 8:10 a.m. must have a pass from that teacher.
Students may go to the office at 8:10 a.m.
Students have from 8:10-8:20 a.m. to go to their lockers, see teachers, go to the office, use the restroom, etc.
Band equipment may be taken to the band room before going to the gym.

After school:

Students should leave the building promptly when the school day ends unless he/she is involved in a supervised, scheduled school activity.

BICYCLES

Bicycles should be parked and locked in the bicycle racks in front of the school by the flagpole. Please place bikes in the racks and do not leave them lying on the ground. LOCK YOUR BICYCLE!

BOOK BAGS/BACKPACKS

Book bags and backpacks should be kept in lockers at all times, unless there are special circumstances, such as an injury, which warrant a student carrying it with them. Book bags create more congestion in the hallways and create a safety hazard when they are placed on the floor in classrooms. We ask for the cooperation of students in leaving their book bags in the lockers and using their lockers for storage purposes.

BUS CONDUCT

Nearly every student in the M-S Schools, at one time in their school career, will be a bus rider. Riding the school bus is a privilege which may be removed when the behavior of a student does not conform to the rules of safe bus riding. Students and parents need to be aware that video cameras are used on school buses to protect the safety and welfare of the passengers, the driver and school property. School bus riders, while in transit, are under the authority of the school bus driver. The bus driver may assign seating.

Additionally, all provisions provided in our Behavior and Discipline Code applies to students on the school bus. A suspension from the bus does not excuse a student from school. It is the parents' responsibility to see that their child or children attend school on a regular basis. If a child who is suspended from riding the school bus is absent without just cause, that student will be considered truant.

BUS PASS

Any student who would like to ride a bus they are not normally scheduled to ride must receive permission from the district transportation director, Mr. Tim Crawford, who may be reached at 586-4433.

CELL PHONES

Students may use cell phones after school to call for rides after their activities at school have been completed. Students may not carry cellular phones with them throughout the regular school day. Cell phones must be shut off and stored in student lockers. Students in repeated violation are subject to disciplinary action.

CLASSES/CURRICULUM AT M-S JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

The following is a summary of classes that our students take in each grade.

Required courses:

Language Arts	grades 6, 7, 8 - 2 periods- covering reading, writing, grammar, and spelling.
Social Studies	grade 6 - Ancient History/U.S. History to Civil War grade 7 - U.S. HIstory - Immigration to World War II grade 8 - Post World War II U.S. History/Geography
Science	grade 6 - Earth Science grade 7 - Life Science grade 8 - Physical Science
Math	grade 6 - Regular or Advanced Math grade 7 - Regular or Advanced Math grade 8 - Regular, Pre-Algebra, or Algebra 1
9-Week Classes	grade 6 - Tech 1, Introduction to World Languages, Art 1, and Geography grade 7 - Tech 2, Art 2, and Health (one semester) grade 8 - Tech 3, Art 3, SELF, and Government
Phys. Education	grades 6, 7, 8 - Must have a standard uniform of an orange shirt, blue shorts or sweat pants and athletic shoes

A placement test is administered to 7th and 8th graders in the second semester of the school year to determine the most appropriate math placement for the next year. Other factors considered are homework, grades, work ethic and teacher recommendation.

Elective Courses:

Band	grades 6, 7, 8 - 3 periods per week
Chorus	grades 6, 7, 8 - 2 periods per week

Students may choose band and/or chorus. If they choose neither, they are assigned to a study hall for that period. Students wishing to add or drop band or chorus may do so at the beginning of the second semester ONLY, with the exception of the first full week of school. Students should bring a note from their parents requesting the change, have it signed by their music instructor and submit it to the office for a schedule change.

World Language Options:

Sixth grade students who meet the specific criteria may, starting in 7th grade, select Spanish 1A or French 1A. They would then enroll in Spanish 1B or French 1B in 8th grade and be ready to take Spanish 2 or French 2 when they enter 9th grade. Criteria for being selected for these classes are: recommendation from 6th grade World Language teacher, a grade of A or B in the 6th grade World Language class, student is planning to attend a 4 year college or university, a minimum overall GPA of 3.00, a willingness and ability to give up a study hall and manage study time accordingly, and good attendance. Students in French or Spanish who are also in Band and Chorus will not have any study halls.

COMPUTER USAGE

It is the general policy that computers are to be used in a responsible, ethical, and legal manner. Failure to adhere to the policy and its guidelines will result in the revocation of the user's access privilege. The individual that logs onto a computer is responsible for all activities in that account. Therefore, users should not share passwords or save their work to another student's directory.

The School District reserves the right to log computer use and to monitor file server space utilization by users while respecting the privacy of the user accounts. In the case where misuse is suspected, the District reserves the right to examine the user's questionable files and materials.

The use of technology is both a right and a privilege that carries with it responsibilities. The technology user is expected to abide by district policies and rules of behavior. These guidelines are provided here so that users are aware of the responsibilities that the use of technology places upon them. Guidelines for the use of technology described in the following policy are not all-inclusive. A user who commits an act of misconduct, which is not specified, may also be subject to disciplinary action. Illegal activities involving technology may also result in referral to law enforcement authorities.

Technology users will:

Use technology only for legal activities.
Be responsible at all times for the proper use of their access privileges and for avoiding impersonation, anonymity, or unauthorized sharing of security measures.
Take responsibility for any activities using technology that is borrowed by them or under their account or password.
Maintain the integrity of technological resources from potentially damaging messages, physical abuse, or viruses.
Abide by the policies and procedures of networks and systems linked by technology.
Protect the privacy of other users and the integrity of the system by avoiding misuse of passwords, other files, equipment, and programs.

Student Internet Access:

Your student may be allowed access to the Internet. You may request your student to be removed from Internet access at any time. If you do not wish your student to have access, please notify the school office.

COURTESY IN THE HALLWAYS

Please pass through the hallways in a kind, respectful and courteous way. Running is NEVER allowed in the halls. Please walk on the RIGHT SIDE OF THE HALLWAYS AND STAIRWELLS. It isn't necessary to yell or be excessively loud - please be considerate of those around you, especially if classes are in session. Please use the trash containers to discard trash - the appearance of our school is important -take pride in our building!

DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements are made over the intercom at 11:04 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Students should pay close attention to the daily announcements. It is the student's responsibility to relay this information home to his/her parents. Announcements are also shown continuously throughout the day on television monitors located in the school.

DAILY SCHEDULE

Our school day consists of ten 38-minute periods with four minute passing periods between classes.
Our day starts at 8:20 and ends at 3:17.

7:30 - 8:10 am	Detentions in Room #110
8:10 - 8:20 am	Students have time to go to their lockers, office, see teachers, use the restroom, etc.
8:20 - 8:58	1st period
9:02 - 9:40	2nd period
9:44 - 10:22	3rd period
10:26 - 11:04	4th period
11:08 - 11:46	5th period
11:50 - 12:28	6th period
12:32 - 1:10	7th period
1:14 - 1:52	8th period
1:56 - 2:34	9th period
2:38 - 3:17	10th period
3:25	All students should be out of the building unless waiting for a bus in the cafeteria, or are in a supervised activity

DANCES

Only Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School 7th and 8th graders may attend the Student Council sponsored dances. There will be one dance in May for 6th and 7th graders to attend.. All dances begin at 7:00 p.m. and end at 9:00 p.m. unless announced otherwise. Dances will be chaperoned by the administration and parent volunteers. If a student chooses to leave the dance, they will not be readmitted. MSJH students are NOT permitted to attend M-S High School dances such as Homecoming and Prom.

DRESS CODE

The following expectations for student dress have been established to promote a safe and optimum learning environment. The following standards will be observed during school hours at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School.

Pants must be worn at the waist. No sagging allowed.
Shirts, blouses, and dresses must cover the abdomen, back, shoulder and chest areas. Strapless, single strap, and tank tops are not allowed. Shirts or tops must cover the waistband of pants, shorts, or skirts with no midriff visible.
Undergarments must be covered at all times.
Jackets must be removed and placed in student's locker
Head apparel, including hats and bandannas, must not be worn inside the school building.
Footwear is required at all times.
Clothing and accessories such as backpacks, patches, jewelry, and notebooks must not display racial or ethnic slurs/symbols, gang affiliations, vulgar, subversive or sexually suggestive language or images; nor, should they promote products which students may not legally buy; such as alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.
Prohibited items include large, long and/or heavy chains, studded or chained accessories, sunglasses except for health purposes, and sleepwear.
Students in repeated violation are subject to disciplinary action.

The school administration reserves the right to determine whether the student's attire is within the limits of decency and modesty. The principal may allow exceptions in special circumstances or occasions such as holidays or special performances and may further prescribe dress in certain classes such as physical education, vocational classes, and science labs.

Unusual dress or appearance will be screened by the principal or assistant principal. Parents will be contacted and students may be sent home to change.

DRILLS

Fire and tornado drills will be held periodically throughout the school year. Know what to do, be cooperative and follow directions. Each teacher will go over the procedure for fire and tornado drills. It is important to listen and remain calm.

EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS

Early dismissal days are simply a rearrangement of school improvement days from previous years. In an effort to assist our families in planning for these early dismissal days we have listed them for you. For the 2010-2011 school year, early dismissal days will include the following days:

September 15, 2010
October 20, 2010
November 17, 2010
December 10, 2010
January 19, 2011
February 16, 2011
March 16, 2011
April 20, 2011
May 18, 2011

Additional calendar information (and 2010-2011 calendar information) may be found on the district website at www.ms.k12.il.us.

All students will need to be out of the building by 1:30 p.m. on early dismissal days. Students involved in extracurricular activities may return to the building at 3:30 p.m.

*Please note that the classes meet in a different order on these days.

Early Dismissal Schedule
1	8:20	8:44
2	8:48	9:12
3	9:16	9:40
4	9:44	10:09
8	10:12	10:36
9	10:40	11:04
5	11:08	11:38
6	11:42	12:12
7	12:16	12:46
10	12:50	1:15

FIELD TRIPS

Student field trips, which may have significant educational and/or social value, will be scheduled as opportunity and finances permit. Such trips are planned by staff and are coordinated with school curriculum. The teacher will notify parents about time, date, special clothing needed, lunch arrangements, and if money will be required for tickets, extra fees, etc. Parents must give permission for these trips.

FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH

Free and reduced lunch guidelines are available in the district business office.

GRADES

Report cards are mailed to parents at the end of each 9-week grading period, as well as at each mid-quarter. Non-custodial parents may receive a copy of all grade reports by contacting the school office. The report card is a record of progress over a set period of time. This report is for your benefit. Students control the outcome of the report cards - grades are not issued by the teacher, grades are earned by the student. Make a habit of having the outcome of your report card be a reflection of your top effort and ability.

If a student fails to complete class requirements by the end of the grading period, that student will receive an incomplete. It is the responsibility of the student to fulfill the necessary requirements to eradicate the incomplete status within ONE WEEK of the end of the grading period. If this is not done, the "I" (incomplete) becomes an "F". Band and chorus will report quarter and final grades only.

GRADING SCALE

The grading scale at MSJH is as follows, for all students:

93-100=A+, A
90-92=A-
87-89=B+
83-86=B
80-82=B-
77-79=C+
73-76=C
70-72=C-
67-69=D+
63-66=D
60-62=D-
Below 60=F

HEAD LICE

Precautions in these areas are meant to protect your child and the other children in the class. Children will be sent home if live lice are present.

Nits should be removed before coming back to school.

The day the student returns to school, parents must bring the student to the office for a check before they can return to their classroom.

HEALTH EXAMINATIONS

Physical exams are required for all students entering prekindergarten, kindergarten, 6th and 9th grades and students new to the district from out of state. Physical exam forms supplied by the State Board of Education must be used. All required immunizations must be indicated on the form with the date administered. Students without the above information on file will be excluded from school. Any student without current immunizations will not be allowed to attend school after October 15 of that school year, in compliance with Illinois law. Students moving into our district must have a current Illinois physical on file or provide record of an Illinois physical with state mandated immunizations within 30 days of enrolling in school.

Sports physicals are valid for one year only. All athletes and cheerleaders must have a sports physical on file before they can try out or compete.

Note: 6th grade students will need a current dental examination on file by May 15. These examination records can be turned in as early as registration day.

HOMEWORK

Although supervised study time is provided during the school day, it is frequently necessary for students to do school work at home. We do not feel that excessive homework is desirable or productive, but a short period of study at home under the right conditions is not harmful or undesirable. Many projects and research assignments will almost always require work outside of school hours. Parents can assist their children by providing a quiet place free from interruptions. Please assist your child by showing an interest in his or her work and helping them with questions they might have.

Please be aware that the teachers at the Junior High have varying policies regarding homework and grading. It is your child's responsibility to know what these guidelines are and to understand that homework in most classes represents a significant portion of the grade that will be earned by the student. Therefore, not completing or turning in the daily work can and probably will result in a lowered grade. In some instances, homework turned in after the deadline will earn a zero.

HOMEWORK REQUESTS

If your child is absent, you may call the office before 9:00 a.m. on the SECOND day of absence and request your child's assignments. The student will have as many days as he/she was absent to make up the work they missed. Assignments that are requested must be picked up in the office by 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students who are leaving school ill should take their school textbooks home with them.

HONOR ROLL

An Honor Roll will be posted in the lower hallway and submitted to the Mahomet Citizen approximately one week after report cards are mailed home. High Honor Roll consists of students who have earned all A's. Honor Roll consists of students who have earned A's and B's. All classes, except band and chorus, are used to determine honor roll eligibility. Parents of students on the Honor Roll for the SEMESTER will receive an honor roll bumper sticker to display.

ITEMS NOT TO BE BROUGHT TO SCHOOL

Valuable items, large sums of money, expensive jewelry, electronic devices, etc. should not be brought to school. Unusual items that need to be brought to school for a speech or project should be cleared through the classroom teacher and the office.

LIBRARY

The library and librarian are available as a resource for students, teachers, and staff from 8:10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. every school day. Teachers can reserve the library for their classes to research and/or to participate in special projects. The teachers and the librarian collaborate to teach information literacy skills to students while the students are working on research or special projects.

Each student is responsible for books he/she checks out. Each student can check out up to two books at a time, each for a two-week period. Books can be returned to the library in the return slot any time between 8:10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Books can be renewed. A student whose book is lost or damaged is assessed a replacement fee for the book. In addition, a student who returns a book after the due date is assessed a late fee of $.05 per day.

Students are expected to be respectful of other students, teachers, and the resources and equipment in the library.

LOCKERS

Please mark all of your items with your name. Each 6th, 7th and 8th grade student has a locker in which to store books, supplies, coats, backpacks and other items. DO NOT GIVE YOUR LOCKER COMBINATION TO ANYONE!! Students may not change lockers without permission, nor should lockers be shared. If sometime during the school year your locker does not close or open properly, notify the office and it will be fixed. We have a locker clean out four times per year, but it is the student's responsibility to maintain a clean and well-organized locker. Lockers are school property and may be searched at any time by school officials with or without the student's permission or knowledge.

LOST AND FOUND

Items found should be placed in the following areas:

Library books should be taken to the library.
Textbooks should be taken to the office.
Lost articles, other than PE clothing, should be placed in the large, wooden lost and found box near the art room.
All PE equipment and clothing should be turned into the PE teachers.
Valuable items should be brought to the office.

LOST OR DAMAGED TEXTBOOKS

Students are responsible for the textbooks they are issued throughout the school year. If a student is issued a textbook at the beginning of the year with visible damage, this should be reported immediately to the teacher. Students will be assessed a fine at the end of the year for the replacement of lost books or damage to books. Replacement costs vary depending on the book. Generally, it is $50.00 and $70 for books under five years of age. Rebinding fees are $12.00 per book.

LUNCH TIME

Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School has a closed campus, which means that students cannot leave without permission during the lunch hours. Parents must sign-out their student in the office if they need to leave during the lunch period. All students have 38 minutes for lunch.

All students have the option of purchasing a hot lunch in the cafeteria. The cost is $2.00, and students may pay weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Students carrying a sack lunch also eat in the cafeteria. Milk is available for $.40 per carton. An a la carte line is also provided for the students, and it is optional. Lunchroom cashiers can accept prepayment in the form of cash or checks made to CUSD #3, or charge by VISA or Master Card online by going to the following website: http://Mahomet/revtrak.net/tek9.asp - you must have your student's ID Number in order to log in on this page. This ID Number is printed on student schedules as well as report cards.

Teachers will supervise the south side of the school grounds when the weather is good and all students will go outside for lunch recess. There are a variety of activities in which to participate. The boundaries are the following: on the WEST, the white shed on the football/soccer field, on the SOUTH, the large tree in the bus lane. Students must remain visible to the supervisors at all times. When playing on the field, students need to remain in the MIDDLE of the field and away from the penalty box areas on the north and south ends of the field. In addition, on the NORTH, students must stay away from all parked vehicles.

The gymnasiums are open to students after eating on cold/rainy days. The supervising teachers will determine the activities to be held. Students must have a pass from a teacher before he/she goes to that teacher's room at lunch.

Each lunch period will have a specific procedure for lining up at the end of recess. Students are responsible for knowing this and following directions.

MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES

The following procedures will apply to the District's policy on administering medications to students:

The school will only administer prescribed medication necessary for management of diagnosed long-term, chronic illness or disability and ADD/ADHD.

Antibiotics and over-the-counter drugs such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, cough medicine, etc. will not be administered by school staff.

Before any prescription medication will be given at school, a School Medication Authorization Form must be completed and signed by both prescribing physician and parents/guardians and be on file in the school office.
All prescription medications that have to be taken during the school day must be brought into the school office, in the original container, by a parent or legal guardian. The medication must be handed to the secretary and you must then sign the Medication Refill Sign-In Sheet located in the school office. No Exceptions.
All oral prescription medications must be taken in the office, in clear view of the person administering the medication.
The school nurse or principal's designee will return any unused prescription medication to only the parent/guardian at the end of the school year.
If your student has a need for non-prescription medication (such as Ibuprofen), an "Exceptions to Medications" form must be signed by the parent or physician and kept on file in the school office and medications must be in the original, labeled container.

A Medic-Aid vending machine is available in the Junior High office and the High School attendance office. Students may purchase over-the-counter pain relievers, antacids, and throat lozenges for 50 cents.

MEDICAL - STUDENT ILLNESS GUIDELINES

When in doubt about your student's health, keep the student at home. Parents will be notified when their student becomes ill at school. The office and teacher should be informed of any student having a special health problem. School authorities do no want to send or take a sick student to an empty home, so it is essential to fill out correctly the EMERGENCY section of the registration card when your student registers for school. Whenever changes occur regarding where you can be reached or who to call in your absence from home, please notify the school office as soon as possible.

Although we want your child in school at all times, please BE SURE YOUR CHILD IS WELL BEFORE SENDING HIM/HER BACK TO SCHOOL.

Check for the following symptoms and keep the child home if they are present:

sore throat with fever or swollen glands
consistent coughing with pain or fever
vomiting/nausea - Students are to be kept home 24 hours after symptoms subside
diarrhea - Students are to be kept home 24 hours after symptoms subside
fever - Students are to be kept home 24 hours after an elevated temperature has returned to normal
earache
impetigo
inflamed eyes
indications of head lice - Nits should be removed before coming back to school

Precautions in these areas are meant to protect your child and the other children in the class. Children will be sent home if live lice are present. The day the student returns to school, parents must bring the student to the office for a check before they can return to their classroom.

Health problems such as diabetes, epileptic seizures, allergies, breathing difficulties, etc., must be reported to the district nurse and the teacher when the child is entered in school in accordance with the Medical Protocol Guidelines found in the District Parent-Student Handbook.

MENTORING PROGRAM

Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School has a Mentoring Program which pairs a student with a business/community member. The purpose of this program is to establish a positive adult relationship in the student's life through regular weekly meetings with the mentor. All activities take place on school grounds. For more information, please contact our social worker at 586-4415.

PARENT CONNECT

We are pleased that so many families are taking advantage of our internet services. If you want to pay for school fees or lunches please go to the district website at http://www.ms.k12.il.us and click on the webstore; you will need your student's 5-digit ID number. If you want to enter Parent Connect you will need to click on the link on our JH website. Use your student's ID for the user and the password. To get this password, email dnorris@ms.k12.il.us or call Deb Norris at 586-2550. It is important that when you log in you do not use the mouse or your password will not work.

To log in to Parent Connect: (example)

user # 12999 (strike enter)
password 1j23r45 (strike enter)

The bar at the bottom of the screen will move from left to right and you will be in the program.

Please remember that what you are seeing is a copy of our data and it is 24- to 36-hours behind current time.

A note to parents who are looking at the attendance folder: Students will have a U for unexcused for an absence until the attendance secretary updates attendance. At that time, excused absences will be changed to E's.

While you are on the Junior High website you are encouraged to sign up for the JH listserve; this is the principal's way of communicating with parents.

To find homework assignments, go to the Junior High website, choose School Information, and choose Staff Directory either by Department or Alphabetically. A "TW" after a teacher's name indicates he/she uses teacherweb.com and many teachers have homework assignments listed there.

PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION

Parent/Teacher communication is vital to the success of students. Whether it is to make arrangements for extra help or to discuss behavior or grades, the communication that takes place between home and school is essential for all parties involved. Teachers are available through email, voice mail, telephone, and websites. Please visit our website at: www.ms.k12.il.us/msjh for further information about home/school communication.

The teachers at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School all have email addresses and voice mail extensions to facilitate better communication with parents. This information is available from the school office. If a student needs extra help, many teachers are available before or after school, or during study hall time. It is the STUDENT'S responsibility to ask for help and make arrangements to see a teacher.

Parent/Teacher Conferences are held twice a year, after the first and third 9-weeks grading periods. All students earning a D or an F will automatically have a conference requested by the teacher of the class that the D or F is earned in. Parents must call in, after receiving the request, to set up a conference time. The phone number is 586-2550.

PASSES

If a student needs to go to a particular room for a class period or part of a class period when he/she has a study hall, a written pass must be obtained in advance from the teacher with whom he/she is receiving extra help or making up work. Study Hall teachers will issue passes for students to go to the library during this time, if students are not on the D/F list.

Students must have a hall pass from the teacher if they are leaving class during the period to use the restroom, go to their locker or to get a drink. Use of class time for these purposes is discouraged - please take care of this type of thing during lunch, study hall or before or after school.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

All students are required to take Physical Education on a daily basis. The only exceptions are those students with medical excuses and/or religious objections. Students are required to change into P.E. uniforms every day and participate in all activities to the best of their abilities. The uniform for P.E. is an orange t-shirt, blue shorts or sweat pants and athletic shoes. A doctor's note is required for a medical release from physical education for any time exceeding one day. Students are required to provide their own locks. Locks may be purchased from the school for $3.00 while supplies last. Please make sure your name is on all of your possessions.

A "no dress" for P.E. class shall be defined as not changing into the entire P.E. uniform, including proper foot attire.

The following is the procedure for dealing with students who do not dress for P.E.:

Upon the first No Dress in a quarter, the student will receive a verbal warning from the P.E. teacher.
Upon the second No Dress in a quarter, a deficiency notice will be sent home to the parents, explaining the problem and the effect on their student's grade in P.E. class.
Upon the third No Dress in a quarter, the student will be assigned a Saturday Supervised Study.

Special note for athletes: If you are medically excused from Physical Education (for being injured) you may not participate in practice or games/meets for your extracurricular sport. In addition, athletes are not permitted to sit out of P.E. on the days of their athletic contests. If they choose to do so, they will receive a No Dress, and they may NOT compete on that day.

PLAGIARISM/ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Plagiarism constitutes a serious offense. It is defined as the copying or paraphrasing of materials written by another without attributing the source, whether the source is published material, electronic media, or another student. A first offense may result in a zero on the assignment. A second offense may result in a failing grade for the quarter in which it occurs.

POSTING OF MATERIALS

No materials of any kind are to be posted in Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School without prior approval. School related clubs and activities must have postings approved by their sponsors. Non-school related postings must be submitted to the administration for approval. The bulletin board located by the cafeteria is the designated spot for non-school related postings. Distribution of materials on school grounds must also be approved by the administration.

PRINCIPAL RECOGNITION

Principal Recognition is a weekly award given out by the Principal to students who have been nominated for good deeds by the staff at the Junior High. Students are called to the office at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings, awarded a certificate by the principal and can select two pencils. Teachers are encouraged to recognize students who do the "little things" to make the atmosphere at the Junior High even more positive.

PROMOTION/RETENTION

The purpose of education is for students to learn and master skills as set forth in the curriculum. Should a student, in the professional opinion of the educator, not meet minimum standards for a particular grade level, then that student could be considered for retention (repeating that grade level).

Other factors taken into consideration when deciding about retaining a student are:

chronological age of the student
previous retentions in the student's educational career
social/emotional development of the student
unique/special educational needs of student

In all cases of possible retention, parents and their students will be kept apprised well in advance of the final decision of that student's progress, grades and the possibility of being retained. Through regular communication with the parent and student, it is hoped that we can work together to help each student succeed at MSJH.

The administration may, in unique circumstances, waive the provisions listed above and place a student in the next grade level. Examples of unique circumstances may include, but are not limited to: students who move in during the school year with poor grades, but show significant improvement; students impacted for part of the year by disruptive personal situations, and students who demonstrate success and improvement after the implementation of academic interventions. Placement determination in these situations will be made by a committee which will include the principal and teachers with input from the student's parents or guardians.

In order to be promoted to the next grade level, students must earn a MINIMUM of 28 points over the 4 grading periods of the school year. In addition, students must pass math, science, social studies and language arts 2 out of the 4 nine-week grading periods. Points are earned through the grades a student earns in his/her classes. A minimum of 8 points should be earned during each grading period.

A=4 points
B=3 points
C=2 points
D=1 point
F= 0 points

The Language Arts grade counts double, since students have two periods of that class per day. Band and Chorus do not count in this calculation. Points must be earned in math, science, social studies and language arts, i.e. students will not be promoted to the next grade based solely on points earned in Physical Education and 9-week classes.

RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLICATIONS & WRITTEN OR ELECTRONIC MATERIAL

Students are prohibited from accessing and/or distributing at school or any school-related activities any written or electronic material, including material from the internet that
(1) is obscene, pornographic, lewd, or vulgar; (2) has the purpose of harassing or bullying another student or staff member; (3) otherwise causes substantial disruption at school or school sponsored activities. A student engages in gross disobedience and misconduct and may be disciplined for creating, distributing or accessing written or electronic materials, including but not limited to Facebook pages or any other social networking sites or internet blogs, which cause substantial disruption to school operations or interferes with the rights of other students or staff members.

For further information, see Board Policy 7:310 (Restrictions on Publications and Written or Electronic Material) and Board Policy 7:190 (Student Discipline).

SCHOOL CLOSINGS

The Junior High is the last school serviced by buses. Therefore on days when school is dismissed early due to inclement weather, the buses will arrive at the Junior High approximately 30 minutes after the reported time given by TV and radio stations. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL TO OBTAIN EARLY DISMISSAL INFORMATION -IT IS AVAILABLE ON ALL LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS.

SELLING ITEMS AT SCHOOL

The school premises are not to be used by students for the sale of anything unless approved by the office.

SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION

Please be aware of the Public Act 94-004: Sex Offender Registration. This legislation requires that principals and/or teachers of public or private elementary or secondary schools notify parents that information about sex offenders is available to the public. This sex offender information is available at this web address: http://www.isp.state.il.us

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Any student threatened in the area of sexual harassment, misconduct, or molestation should immediately report such an incident or conduct to the proper personnel/authority (i.e. teacher, administrator, guidance counselor, or social worker). Said personnel then shall follow the guidelines set forth in the Mahomet-Seymour Community Schools # 3 Board Policies. Sexual harassment is defined in the Illinois Human Rights Act, II Rev. Stat., Ch. 68, Para 2-102 (D).

SOCIAL WORK SERVICES

Social work services are available for all students. The main concern of counseling is the student. Students wanting to see the social worker should make an appointment through the office, their teachers, or Mrs. Kyle the social worker.

STANDARDIZED TESTING

In the second semester of each school year, 6th, 7th and 8th graders will be administered the Illinois Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT). It is extremely important that students are in attendance at school on these days - please make every effort to schedule all appointments outside of school time.

STUDENT COUNCIL

6th grade student council members will be elected in September. 7th and 8th grade officers and representatives were elected last spring. These class officers will meet during the school year with the Student Council sponsor to plan dances and other activities. President, Vice-President and Secretary positions are held by 8th graders. There are four representatives from each grade, for a total of 15 members.

STUDY HALL

The study hall atmosphere is reflective of its name. It is expected that all students will arrive in study hall with the proper materials needed to complete school assignments. Students must have a pass to see a teacher or go to the library. Library privileges are lost when a student is on the D/F list after a grade check. Students at MSJH have at least one study hall scheduled into their daily routine, with the exception of a few students who have band and chorus and a foreign language in 7th and 8th grade. Study hall time is provided during the day so that students may complete homework, study for tests, work on projects, receive help and assistance from a teacher, and enhance their learning experience. It is expected that students will appropriately participate in study hall by doing the following:

Arrive at their study hall prepared to work, i.e. with the proper materials and books required to complete homework
Remain quiet during study hall and work on school related assignments, or read
Conduct themselves in a manner which does not interfere or disrupt the opportunities for study by other students

Students who arrive unprepared for study hall, OR who do not follow the three guidelines above will:

receive a verbal warning upon the first occurrence in a quarter
receive a written warning to be sent home upon the second occurrence in a quarter
3rd and subsequent occurrences in a quarter, students will be assigned a Saturday Supervised Study

Teachers will be available to check assignment books and answer questions in study halls.

TARDY

Prompt arrival at school is of the utmost importance. Lifelong habits of timeliness are formed at an early age and will translate into positive and productive employability skills if good habits are encouraged, enforced and modeled by parents. Instruction at the Junior High begins each day at 8:20 a.m. This is the time when all students must be in class. Students arriving after 8:20 a.m. are considered tardy (unexcused). When students arrive to school after 8:20 a.m. they must check in with the office, whereupon they will be issued a pass which indicates that they are unexcused. After three unexcused tardies, students will be issued a detention. The following reasons are not valid excuses for being late to school: oversleeping, missing the bus, car trouble or traffic problems, unverified medical appointments. (An appointment card or note from the doctor must accompany the student upon return or arrival at school.) Chronic problems with unexcused lateness will result in a conference with the parents, Saturday Supervised Study Sessions, or other disciplinary action as outlined in the CUSD #3 Discipline Policy. Students may also be given a detention after two tardies to class in periods 2-10.

TELEPHONE CALLS

In cases of emergency/illness, students may obtain permission from the office to use the phone to contact parents or relatives. The pay telephone may be used before school, during lunch time or after school. Using the pay phone at other times requires a pass from a teacher. The pay phone is for personal and social calls. Classroom phones are for teacher use only.

VISITORS

Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School welcomes parents and other visitors/observers to our building. We request that you use only the front entrance on State Street and immediately report to the office to obtain a visitor's badge. Visitors or parents in the hallways without a visitor's badge will be asked to come to the office to obtain one from the secretary. Visits by students from other schools will not be authorized due to district liability. Junior high dances are only open to those students who attend Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School.

WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL

Please notify the office and all teachers of plans to withdraw a few days before leaving so that all appropriate records can be forwarded to the next school in a timely manner.

ZAP

Zeros Aren't Permitted (ZAP)

This program is designed to provide motivation and support for students to complete assignments on time and to meet their academic responsibilities. Within this program, all students who come to class with two or more incomplete assignments in a week will be ZAPPED. When a student is ZAPPED for incomplete assignments, he or she will be required to attend a ZAP session during his or her lunch period. Students will eat their lunch in the ZAP room and then complete their assignments. If the student is unable to complete his or her assignment during the lunch period, he or she will return to the ZAP room the next day or until the assignment(s) are complete.

The purpose of the Zeros Aren't Permitted is two-fold: (1) to give students a second chance to earn credit on assignments they may have lost, forgotten, or failed to turn in and (2) to increase responsibility with students while building pride in their school performance. A consistent pattern of failing to turn in assignments can signal a need for assistance with organization, study skills, or more serious problems that you may want to discuss with your child's teachers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome to Mahomet-Seymour Junior High

Office Hours:

7:30 am - 4:30 pm on Student Attendance days

7:30 am - 2:30 pm on Student Non-attendance days

M-S Junior High Phone: 217.586.4415

Absence call in Phone: 217.586.4415 ext. 401 (24 hours)

M-S Junior High Fax: 217. 586.5869

Visit our website and subscribe to our listserve at www.ms.k12.il.us

A MESSAGE TO ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS