Rising Sun Middle School
289 Pearl Street, P. O. Box 308, Rising Sun, Maryland
21911-0308
Phone 410 658-5535
or 410 398-3019
Fax 410 658-9173
Diana L. Rudolph, Principal |
|
Paul D. Elwood Assistant Principal |
Linda Wade Assistant Principal |
Updated:
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Call
(Main Office) 410-398-3019
or 410-658-5535 for the following concerns:
Ÿ
General school
information
Ÿ
Report a studentÕs
absence
Ÿ
Any questions regarding
your childÕs attendance
Ÿ
Make an appointment with
the Principal or Assistant Principal
Ÿ
Talk to the school nurse
Ÿ
Field trips,
fundraisers, any school activities
Call
(Guidance Office)
410-378-2037 or 410-658-5537 for the following concerns:
Ÿ
Make an appointment with
your childÕs teacher(s)
Ÿ
Any questions regarding
your childÕs schedule, grades, Grades on GO, progress reports
Ÿ
Talk to or make an
appointment with your childÕs guidance counselor
ATTENDANCE
A
good attendance record is certain to help you do good work. If you are excessively absent during
the school year, you cannot profit from the educational program which is
offered. In addition, there is
little chance of continuity of instruction or maintenance of interest when you
do not attend regularly.
Therefore, regular school attendance is necessary to achieve any degree
of success in school.
ABSENCE
IF
YOU HAVE BEEN ABSENT, YOU SHOULD PRESENT A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM YOUR PARENT,
GUARDIAN OR DOCTOR TO YOUR HOMEROOM TEACHER ON THE FIRST DAY BACK. Such
notes should be dated, and include dates of absence, student's name, and the
reason for the absence, and be signed by your parent or guardian. More attendance information can be
found in the Rights and Responsibilities in the Cecil County Public Schools
calendar.
MAKE UP WORK IS CONSIDERED YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND
MUST BE MADE UP WITHIN A TIME SPECIFIED BY THE TEACHER. If you
have to be absent due to extended illness (three
days or more), you or your parent should contact the guidance office
(410-658-5537 or 410-378-2037) to make arrangements for work to be sent
home. Arrangements must be made at
least 24 hours in advance in order to allow teachers to gather the work to be
sent home.
FAMILY TRIPS
Students can receive a lawful absence for a family trip for
up to five (5) days per school year.
To receive a lawful absence, the principal must approve trips in
advance. Notes should be brought
to the office at least a week in advance to allow the student to gather up homework assignments. It is the responsibility of the student
to complete and turn in the work within the time frame agreed upon with
teachers. Tentative
dates/window of time for the Maryland State testing are: April 1-10, 2008 Reading and Math;
April 23-May 13, 2008 Science. Please understand that during this testing
window, family trips will NOT be approved.
LATE ARRIVAL/TARDY/EARLY DISMISSAL
Students
should not arrive to school before 7:25 a.m. and are expected to be in their homerooms by 7:38
a.m. Those students not in
homeroom by 7:38 a.m. will be considered tardy. Students who are unlawfully tardy an excessive number of
times will face serious disciplinary action. SPECIAL NOTE: Parents and students are advised that
missing the bus, oversleeping, car problems, personal business, hall locker
problems, etc., while understandable, are typical unlawful reasons for lateness to school/homeroom.
Any
student arriving to school after 7:50 a.m. (during homeroom period) must
sign-in at the main office and obtain a tardy slip. Students are considered
tardy up until one and a half hours into the school day (after 9:15 a.m.
students are marked absent for a half day). Students are also considered absent for
a half day when leaving school before 1:00 p.m. on a normal school day.
Any student who leaves
during the school day must be signed-out in the main office. Students are encouraged to remain for a
complete school day and should consider early dismissal only if absolutely
necessary. Under no circumstances
should a student leave school property prior to regular dismissal time unless
special permission is granted by the principal. A NOTE WRITTEN BY THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN REQUESTING AN EARLY
DISMISSAL SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE OFFICE BEFORE HOMEROOM PERIOD.
VISITORS/STUDENT SIGN OUT PROCEDURES
All visitors to the school during the school hours are required by the Board of Education Policy to report to the main office for permission to visit the building or grounds. All visitors will be issued a visitorÕs badge to be displayed while in the building. All badges must be returned to the office upon departure.
Upon entering the front door,
you are to present yourself to the call box on the wall and state your name and
reason for entry. The office staff
will Ôbuzz you inÕ after talking to you and seeing you on the security
camera. The staff and student body
have been advised that they are NOT to open the doors for anyone – you
must be buzzed in by the office personnel. This system will be in place beginning at 8:00 a.m. every
morning.
Student sign out procedures
are as follows: A picture
ID may be required by anyone entering the building. If you are a non-parent and we do not have permission
(either a written note or a phone call from the parent) to release the student
to you, we will call the parent to get permission. Dismissal will take place in the office – you are to
wait in the office until the student arrives.
WEDNESDAY EARLY DISMISSAL
Please refrain from signing
middle school students out early on Wednesdays. Students are missing valuable classroom instructional time
– some as much as thirty minute a week. The repeated classroom interruptions affect everyone. Thank you for your cooperation.
AFTER SCHOOL
All
students are expected to be out of the building by 2:45 unless under the direct
supervision of a teacher. Students
waiting for rides are to wait in the front lobby ONLY and are not to be in any other area of the school. After 2:45, this will be strictly
enforced. Students need to make
arrangements for transportation home prior to the school day. Use of the telephone during the school
day for such arrangements is discouraged.
DETENTIONS
Students
may be required to remain after school.
If this is necessary, a detention notice will be sent home at least 24
hours prior to the date the student is expected to remain. The letter will state the reason(s) the
detention is issued. Students
must return the detention form with parent signature to stay for their
scheduled detention. Students who fail to meet this
responsibility will face appropriate action.
LOCKERS
1. Each student will be assigned an
individual locker, unless assigned to share by his/her teacher.
2. Students are not permitted to switch
lockers.
3. Students must not leave belongings in
rooms or desks unless directed to do so by a teacher; instead they should put
them in the assigned locker.
4. Lockers
are to be used at designated times only.
5. Personal belongings should be
identified with your name somewhere on the item.
6. Lockers are considered school property
and clean-out will held at the end of each marking period.
7. School will not be held responsible for
items missing from student lockers.
8. Lockers should be kept in working condition and are not to be "bugged".
9. Should a locker need repair, a request
should be made in writing to the guidance office immediately.
Cecil County Public
Schools seeks to promote good citizenship, to provide a safe and comfortable
environment conducive to learning, and to prepare students for adult
professional life. Appropriate
dress is expected of all students. The responsibility for appropriate student
dress lies with the student and his/her parents or guardians within approved
standards set by the Board of Education and the schools. Certain clothing types and styles are
deemed not appropriate as school-day attire and in addition may present an
unhealthy or unsafe situation. Prohibited clothing and accessories are
those that:
á
Are not acceptable to the
work or learning environment
á
Pose a safety or health
hazard
á
Interfere with or disrupt
the educational process
á
Advocate unsafe or
inappropriate behavior
á
Are vulgar, obscene,
revealing or offensive
á
Demean others on the
basis of race, color, ethnicity, gender, disability, or other attribute
á
Promote the use of
tobacco, drugs or alcohol
A more detailed list can be
found in the Cecil County Public Schools calendar.
CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
DRESS CODE
TOBACCO/ALCOHOL/DRUGS
Student
possession/use of tobacco, alcohol, or drugs in any form is prohibited on
school property.
FIELD TRIPS
Field
trips are an extension of classroom activities; therefore, all school policies
and behavior guidelines remain the same.
Most field trips require a parent to sign a permission form and may involve
payment of a fee. Timely parental
attention to these items will avoid disappointment and administrative problems.
STUDENT CONDUCT AND COURTESY EXPECTATIONS
At
RSMS, we live by the motto: RESPECT + RESPONSIBILITY = TIGER PRIDE
This is important for everyone
in the building: students, staff,
volunteers, and parents. The
following is a BASIC outline of the conduct and courtesy expectations for RSMS.
HALLWAY
BEHAVIOR – Walking with Tiger Pride
1.
Stay to the right
2.
Walk directly to class
with required materials
3.
Use locker at assigned
times
4.
Practice self control and
eliminate horseplay
5.
Speak kindly about others
and use low voices
6.
Admire
displays but show respect toward them
CAFETERIA BEHAVIOR – Dining with
Tiger Pride
1.
Wait
patiently in line and keep hands and feet to yourself
2.
Speak politely to staff
and others
3.
Respect each otherÕs
space, food, and belongings
4.
Return trays and throw
away trash and uneaten food
5.
Clean up your area
– it is everyoneÕs responsibility
6.
Food (snacks included)
and drinks may not be taken from the cafŽ
7.
Lights out is the signal
for clean up and quiet
RESTROOM BEHAVIOR – Personal Tiger Pride
1.
Sign out from class using
your planner
2.
Be sanitary and always
flush
3.
Wash your hands before
you leave the bathroom
4.
Report any vandalism, damage,
or inappropriate use of bathroom immediately.
ASSEMBLY BEHAVIOR – Celebrating with
Tiger Pride
1.
Show appreciation for the
performers in a appropriate fashion – by clapping and no cat calls
2.
Sit properly and keep
hands and feet to self
3.
Show respect by being
quiet and attentive
4.
When
your class is called, come to the assembly in a safe and orderly fashion
BUS BEHAVIOR – Riding with Tiger
Pride
1.
Passengers shall obey the
driver at all times.
2.
Students must be seated
while on the bus, facing the front with their feet on the floor.
3.
Students are to keep
their head and arms inside of the bus at all times.
4.
Throwing objects on the
bus will not be tolerated.
5.
Eating/drinking and
chewing gum are not permitted.
6.
There shall be no
profanity, shouting, loud talking, whistling, loud laughter, spitting or
disorderly or improper conduct of any kind o n the bus.
7.
Due to safety
concerns, students are not permitted to ride home on different buses with other
students.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR – Learning with
Tiger Pride
1.
Be prepared for class
with materials and completed homework
2.
Be positive and have a
good attitude
3.
Work
hard and stay on task
4.
Respect others in the
room – speak and act kindly toward them
5.
Respect the property of
others and the school
6.
Do Your
Best!
SCHOOL DANCES – Dancing with Tiger
Pride
1. Dances are held periodically throughout the year from 2:45-4:45. Only RSMS students will be admitted to the dance.
2.
General school rules and
policies remain in effect during school dances. Students may be dismissed from the dance and money will NOT
be refunded.
3.
Students who leave the
dance or school may not re-enter the building.
4.
All debts, including
Media fines, must be paid prior to the dance.
5.
Transportation
arrangements are to be made in advance.
Students will not be permitted to make phone calls to arrange rides
during the school day.
6.
Students assigned to MIP
or suspended, may not attend the dance.
A MORE DETAILED LIST OF
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS ALONG WITH POSSIBLE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS FOR
MISBEHAVIOR, CAN BE FOUND IN THE CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL CALENDAR UNDER
ÔSTUDENTS RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTSÕ.
DISRUPTION TO THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS/PERSONAL
PROPERTY
Students
are not to bring to school, or on the school bus, anything that is disruptive to the education
process. Such items include, but
are not limited to, PSPÕs, game boys, iPods, MP3 players, games, radios, DVD/CD
players, cameras, fireworks, Òpoppers, "snappers", stink bombs,
pepper spray/mace, spray deodorant/cologne, water guns, and portable electronic
devices. In addition, students are
not to bring personal valuables or possessions (i.e. baseball cards,
playing cards, dolls, stuffed animals, etc.) to school. Possession of such items may result in
disciplinary action. Scooters,
skateboards and such may be stored in the gym closet.
HONOR ROLL
¯
Is an earned recognition
for high-level academic achievement in ALL subjects.
¯
Will be compiled at the
conclusion of each marking period.
¯
Will be determined by
computing an average of the studentÕs grades in the report period.
¯
Will not consider a
pass/fail grade when calculating the Honor Roll.
¯
Reflects an average of B
(3.0) or better, with no more than one C (no C- grade allowed) and no grade
below a C.
¯
Eligibility for Honor
Roll will be determined when all incomplete grades are resolved.
MEDICATION
Students
on prescribed medication must complete the appropriate forms available in the
main office. These forms must
be filled out by the prescribing physician
and require both the physician's and parent's signature. New medication forms must
be completed yearly. Medication must come in the original pharmacy package with label. This policy also pertains to
non-prescription medication. Any change
in a student's daily schedule for medication must be cleared with the school
nurse.
MEDICAL CONCERNS/SICKNESS AND INJURY/HEALTH ROOM
If
a student becomes ill or injured during the day, he/she must obtain a health
referral slip from the teacher to go to the health room where a decision will
be made as to what should be done by the school nurse. Our goal is to minimize the time a
student misses from class due to illness/injury.
If
a student has any medical concerns that the school should be aware of
(allergies, heart problems, kidney problems, asthma, physical constraints,
etc.) contact the school nurse immediately. Medical concerns should be noted on the studentÕs
emergency card – if changes occur, please contact the school nurse.
RECOGNITION OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Throughout
the school year there will be school-wide assembly programs in which students
will receive recognition in the following areas: academics, individual effort, athletics, citizenship and
service to the school.
CAFETERIA
All
students are assigned a PIN number to access their lunch account. Money can be put into a studentsÕ lunch
account in the cafeteria at any time.
All students are responsible for making provisions for their lunch
purchased at school. LUNCHES MAY NOT BE CHARGED TO THE CAFETERIA.
STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BORROW LUNCH MONEY FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE OR
CAFETERIA. PLEASE BE REPONSIBLE
FOR LUNCH MONEY AND LUNCHES AT ALL TIMES. We suggest keeping
$2 in your backpack for emergency – forgetting your lunch, etc. *
SODA MACHINE
A
soda machine for student use is located in the main lobby. THIS MACHINE IS TO BE USED ONLY AFTER REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS. Violation
of this regulation or abuse of the area, such as spilling of drinks, scattering
of cans, etc., will be cause to have the machine removed. Also violation of this regulation will
result in a disciplinary action against the student.
GUM
CHEWING AND EATING CANDY ARE NOT PERMITTED
USE OF THE TELEPHONE
A
pay telephone is located in the main hallway near the front entrance of the
school for student use before and after school only. Due to a substantial increase of time out of class for
telephone use, the phone in the main office will NOT
be available for student use. Should an emergency arise, the office
staff will determine if a call is necessary. Forgotten lunches, gym suits, assignments, and musical instruments are NOT
considered emergencies. Students are encouraged to minimize
their time out of the classroom.
CELL PHONE USE
If a parent finds it necessary for the student to carry a
cell phone to school, the following procedures are to be followed. Students are to turn the cell phone OFF
upon boarding the school bus or arriving at school and leave the phone in their
locker. Cell phones are NOT to be carried
during the day in purses or by the student. Cell phone use during the school day or on the school bus is
prohibited. RSMS is NOT
responsible for lost or stolen cell phones.
SCHOOL STORE
The
school store is open in the mornings from 7:35 a.m. until 7:50 a.m. You may purchase needed school supplies
at this time. Students must have a
pass to the school store from their homeroom teacher before going to the school
store.
SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM SUPPLIES
Students are to be prepared for classes with supplies
such as notebook, paper, pencils, erasers and pens. Many of these supplies can be purchased in the school store.
All students taking physical education are required to come to class with the
appropriate physical education uniform.
It may be purchased from the physical education instructor. A breakdown of the cost will be on a
separate sheet handed out in the homeroom to all students.
BOOK BAGS
Past
history has shown too many students carry overloaded book bags all day
throughout the building. These
overloaded bags are causing two problems.
The first problem is a safety problem caused by overloaded bags hitting
others in crowded halls and stairwells.
The second problem is a teacher concern that class time is wasted as
students look through a large number of books and papers for homework and other
items needed for that class. Therefore,
we are requiring all students to place book bags in their locker upon arrival
to school and to leave them there until dismissal.
SCHOOL SAFETY DRILLS
School
safety drills will be held at various intervals throughout the school
year. Cooperation with all drills
is expected. These include:
á
Bus evacuation
á
Fire drills
á
Violent storm/civil
defense drills
á
Code yellow – stay
in room, doors locked, continue instruction
á
Code red – stay in
room, doors locked, instruction stops, follow teacher directions
INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOM RULES/PROCEDURES
Individual
classroom rules and procedures will be discussed with students at the beginning
of the school year by teachers.
Basic rules applicable to that classroom will be posted.
TEXTBOOKS
Textbooks
are provided by the Board of Education and no charge will be made for their
normal use. Should a book be lost
or abused, it must be paid for by the student. If it is necessary for students to provide materials for a
class, efforts will be made to keep the cost at a minimum. The school cannot accept responsibility
for lost, stolen or damaged textbooks.
Students will be held liable for missing or damaged textbooks. TEXTBOOKS
MUST BE COVERED – available from teachers. Inflation has resulted in tremendous increases in the cost
of textbooks. In an attempt to
save the taxpayer money, we are trying to hold down costs - in this case -
replacement of texts. It is very
simple - covered books last longer.
HALL PASSES
Students
must be given a hall pass by the teacher excusing them from class. The pass must be carried with them to
show that they have permission to be out of class.
GUIDANCE
The
guidance program is planned to serve the needs of the students and to assist
them in solving their problems - social and personal, as well as, educational
and vocational interpretation of test results is used to help students analyze
their own abilities and interests.
Although much guidance is
always done through the homeroom and classroom teachers, the counselor welcomes
the students for individual conferences to discuss any problem. Students should
make an appointment to see the counselor.
This can be done in the morning prior to homeroom, at lunchtime, after
school, or at a time when the classroom teacher gives permission. All students are expected to be in
class on time and should not stop between classes when sufficient time is not
available
CHANGE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION NOTIFICATION
It
is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to
notify the school as soon as possible about any change of personal
information (address, phone#, mailing address, emergency contacts, etc.). Accurate information is required at all
times in the event immediate contact is needed between the school and home.
LOST AND FOUND
All
books and articles of clothing that are found in the classrooms, halls or
locker rooms are turned into the main office and may be claimed before homeroom
in the morning and after school.
Articles not claimed within a reasonable time will be discarded or
donated to charity.
Please
label all lunchboxes, backpacks, notebooks, and jackets with your name for easy
return to you.
MEDIA CENTER
The
Media Center (Library) is open before school and after school. It is also open to students during
lunchtime provided there are no classes in the media center. Students have the responsibility of
returning library books on or before the due date stamped on the back of the book.
Replacement cost will be assessed for books not returned
INSURANCE
Insurance,
which covers medical expenses arising from accidents occurring in school, may
be purchased at the beginning of the school year. Students will be issued insurance forms in their homeroom
packet.
DATES TO REMEMBER
August
2007
27, First Day for Students
September
2007
3, Labor Day Holiday – schools closed
October
2007
19, MSTA Day – schools closed
30, End of First Marking Period
November
2007
8-9, Professional Day – schools closed for
students
21-23, Thanksgiving Holiday
December
2007
21, Inclement Weather Make-Up Day, if not used, schools
closed
24-31, Winter Holiday
January
2008
1, New Year Holiday – schools closed
18, End of Second Marking Period
21, Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – schools
closed
22, Inclement Weather Make-Up day, if not used,
Professional Day
23, Professional Day – schools closed for
students
February
2008
12, Professional Day – schools closed for
students
18, PresidentÕs Day Holiday – schools closed
March
2008
20-24, Spring Holiday – schools closed
April
2008
1-10,
MSA Reading and Math – Tentative Dates
2, End of Third Marking Period
23-May 13 – MSA Science Tentative Dates
25, Inclement Weather Make-Up day, if not used, schools
closed
May
2008
26, Memorial Day Holiday – schools closed
June
2008
4-6, Early dismissal for secondary students
6, Last Day for Students