daily lessons. We invite you to join · 2017. 7. 18. · We are always happy to communicate with you. Email is the best form of communication, but phone calls and notes are also acceptable.

Heritage Middle School is a Positive Behavior Intervention

and Support School (PBIS). This initiative promotes a consistent

expectation for student behavior, recognizes students who

demonstrate appropriate behav-ior, and enhances a climate con-

ducive to learning. The three basic expectations at HMS are:

Have Respect for All

Make Ourselves Accountable

Show Safe and Responsible Actions

School Websi te ht tp: / /wcpss.net /her i tagems

WCPSS Websi te ht tp: / /wcpss.net

2017-2018

PAR ENT & S TUDENT

HAND BOOK

Scan this QR symbol into your smart phone to view our website.

Table of Contents

Attendance 4

Bully Information 16

BYOD Matrix 13

Cafeteria 7

Calendar of Events 2

Dress Code 9

Extracurricular 11

General Policies &

Procedures

8-11

Grading Policy 12

Homework 5

Medical Matters 7

Parent/School

Communication

3

PBIS Matrix 14-15

PTA 4

Security 7

Transportation 6

Main Phone Line

Student Services

Attendance

919-562-6204

Ext. 22562

Ext. 22525

Fax Machine

Athletics

Cafeteria

919-562-6227

Ext. 22505

Ext. 22509

The 4 C’s HMS embraces the ambitious

WCPSS 2020 goal. The

primary strategies utilized as we

work toward achieving this goal and

preparing our students to be success-

ful and productive citizens are

integrating the skills of collabora-

tion, critical thinking, creativity, and

communication (4 C’s) into our

daily lessons. We invite you to join

us in this challenge of developing

our young people to be creative,

effectively collaborate,

communicate with others and to

think critically about their world and

the decisions they make.

Heritage Middle School, as well as ALL Wake County Schools and offices,

have converted to Voice over Internet phone systems. All callers will be

required to call the school’s main phone number then dial an extension for

the party they wish to speak with. These extensions will be posted to our

website, wcpss.net/heritagems.

Student Name: ____________________________________________________________

Grade: _______ Track: _______ Student ID#: ___________________________________

All information at time of print-

ing is correct. Prices and fees are

subject to change due to vendor

or board policy changes.

BELL SCHEDULE

TRACK IN DATES…..TRACK OUT

HOLIDAYS

Monday, September 4 - Labor Day

Friday, November 10 - Veteran’s Day

Wed/Thurs/Fri, Nov. 22-24 Thanksgiving

Fri., Dec. 22 - Mon., Jan. 1 - Winter Break

Monday, January 15 - MLK Jr.

Friday, March 30 - Spring Break

Monday, May 28 - Memorial Day

EARLY RELEASE DATES

August 18 Tracks 1.2.4

September 29 Tracks 2.3.4

October 20 Tracks 1.2.3

December 21 Tracks 2.3.4

February 9 Tracks 1.2.4

March 2 Tracks 1.3.4

March 29 Tracks 1.2.3

May 25 Tracks 1.3.4

REPORT CARD DATES

Track 1:

September 8 December 1

March 2 *June 7 Track 2, Track 3, Track 4:

September 29 December 21

March 23 *June 29

*Final Report card

will be mailed.

July 10, 2017

October 2, 2017

January 2, 2018

March 26, 2018

July 10, 2017

September 11, 2017

December 4, 2017

March 5, 2018

Fri., June 8, 2018

July 10, 2017

August 21, 2017

November 13, 2017

February 12, 2018

Friday, May 11, 2018

July 31, 2017

October 23, 2017

January 22, 2018

Thurs, April 19, 2018

September 8, 2017

December 1, 2017

March 2, 2018

Thurs., June 7, 2018

August 18, 2017

November 9, 2017

February 9, 2018

Thurs., May 10, 2018

June 29, 2018

July 28, 2017

October 20, 2017

January 19, 2018

Wed., April 18, 2018

June 29, 2018

September 29, 2017

Thurs., Dec. 21, 2017

Mar. 23, 2018

June 29, 2018

Track 1

Track 2

Track 3

Track 4 Be sure to look for complete bell schedules

(including delayed starts and Saturday)

and for additional information

on our website WCPSS.net/heritagems

DAILY BELL SCHEDULE

Student hours are 8:20 AM-3:05 PM. Students may enter the building at 7:50 AM and should report directly to breakfast or to

their lockers then homeroom. Students are not supervised on campus earlier than 30 minutes prior to the start of school. Stu-

dents should be in homeroom by the 8:20 bell or they are considered tardy and must report to the main office for a tardy slip.

Please schedule appointments for doctors and dentists outside of instructional time whenever possible. When students miss

part of instructional units, learning is disrupted.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Please check our calendar

(wcpss.net/heritagems) often

for spirit nights, open houses,

performances, clubs, field trips,

holidays, etc. Our calendar is

updated regularly.

Please view our athletic

schedules on the ATHLETICS

link from our homepage.

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

1 Encore 8:20-9:05 1 Encore 8:20-9:05 1 Encore 8:20-9:05

2 Core 9:08-10:02 2 Core 9:08-10:02 2 Electives/PE 9:08-9:54

3 Core 10:04-10:58 3 Core 10:04-10:58 3 Electives/PE 9:57-10:43

4 Lunch 11:01-11:28 4 Electives/PE 11:01-11:47 4 Core 10:46-11:40

5 Core 11:31-12:25 5 Lunch 11:50-12:17 5 Core 11:42-12:36

6 Core 12:27-1:21 6 Electives/PE 12:20-1:06 6 Lunch 12:39-1:06

7 Electives/PE 1:24-2:10 7 Core 1:09-2:03 7 Core 1:09-2:03

8 Electives/PE 2:13-2:59 8 Core 2:06-3:00 8 Core 2:06-3:00

Lockers 3:00 Lockers 3:00 Lockers 3:00

Announcements 3:03 Announcements 3:03 Announcements 3:03

Dismissal 3:05 Dismissal 3:05 Dismissal 3:05

All students are responsible for complying with and are expected to be famil-

iar with the WCPSS Code of Student Conduct and school board policies gov-

erning student behavior and conduct. All Code of Student Conduct policies

are contained in the WCPSS Student/Parent Handbook, which is distributed to

all students and parents at the beginning of each school year or upon enroll-

ment in the WCPSS. If there is a conflict between the rules expressed in this

handbook/agenda/planner and the Code of Student Conduct policies, the

WCPSS Code of Student Conduct policies shall take precedence.

Todos los estudiantes son responsables por el cumplimiento y el conocimiento

del Código de Conducta Estudiantil y de todas las políticas de la Junta Esco-

lar que gobiernan el comportamiento y la conducta estudiantil. Todas las po-

líticas del Código de Conducta Estudiantil se encuentran en el manual de

WCPSS de Estudiantes/Padres, el cual se distribuye a todos los padres y estu-

diantes al principio de cada año escolar o al matricularse en el WCPSS. Si

hay un conflicto entre las reglas expresadas en este manual de Estudiantes/

Padres y el manual/agenda/planificador de la escuela de su hijo(a) las reglas

expresadas en este manual deben tomar prioridad.

Agendas are available for every student at Heritage Middle School. This daily organizer can also be used for parent-teacher communication. The cost of the agenda is $4.00. Refer to page 10 under School Store for payment options. Teachers may be available to return phone calls, email, or meet with parents during planning periods or after school. We will not interrupt class instruction for conferences, phone calls, or dropped off items. All teachers/teams provide an updated website accessible from the HMS web-site (WCPSS.net/heritagems). Many teams also provide a newsletter or calendar reminders to parents. Our website will also include updated information re-garding school events. Ongoing communication between parents and teachers is the best way to assist student success. Additionally, Mr. McCabe will send a weekly voicemail to families. Anticipate those recordings on Friday or Saturday. He shares infor-mation that impacts the broad school community. His message can also be viewed on our website, via the Principal’s Message link. Mr. McCabe is also using Twitter as another communication tool. Please visit the

HMS website and click on the Twitter icon to sign up to follow HMS. Ongoing communication is a vital component to student success. We are always happy to communicate with you. Email is the best form of

communication, but phone calls and notes are also acceptable. You should ex-pect any HMS staff member to get back with you within 24-48 hours unless they are tracked out. If you need to meet with a staff member, please schedule a meet-

ing for a time that is acceptable for both parties.

WCPSS STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL

DISCIPL INE

The WCPSS Board of Education Student/Parent Handbook is available on-line at wcpss.net. Heritage Middle

School will adhere to three overall expectations at school:

1. Have Respect for All

2. Make Ourselves Accountable

3. Show Safe and

Responsible Actions

A Code of Student Conduct promotes a school climate conducive to serious study. A safe and orderly environ-ment is essential. Heritage Middle

School staff will work with students and parents to achieve this goal. Teacher teams will implement

reasonable classroom procedures and rules and will keep students

knowledgeable about procedures. When a student challenges the

authority of staff or behaves in a manner that is dangerous or extremely disrespectful, the teacher will request intervention from an administrator. Each principal has the authority and

responsibility to take whatever reasonable and legal action is

necessary to establish and maintain appropriate student behavior in accordance with Board Policy.

Mission Statement

Heritage Middle School will

provide a relevant and

engaging education and will

graduate students who are

collaborative, creative,

effective communicators,

and critical thinkers.

The HMS PTA supports all teachers and students. Parents and staff are encouraged to join the PTA in supporting students at Heritage. Annual membership dues are $8.00. We also hope that you will register online at any WCPSS school to volunteer at the school. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities includ-ing test proctoring which will be coordinated through PTA. The PTA has several fundraising opportunities including collecting Box tops for Education, linking your grocery cards to HMS, participating in family nights at local restaurants, purchasing & painting our Spirit Rock or Spirit Tiles, as well as our annual no-fuss fundraiser.

When a student is sick and needs to be absent from school, please call 562-6204, dial the attendance line Extension 22525, and leave a message indicating the stu-dent’s name, grade, and track. A written note should be pro-vided to the homeroom teach-er when the student returns to school. An absence is recorded as unexcused until a note is received from the parent. In accordance with WCPSS Board Policy, an absence is excused for the following reasons:

Illness or injury Isolation ordered by the State Board of Health or Wake County Health Department Death in the immediate family Medical, dental, or other appointment with a health care provider (note from provider should be submitted to school) Court appearance, when student is under subpoena Religious holiday for student’s/parent’s religion Participation in a valid, prior-approved educational

opportunity; completed form “WCPSS Prior Approval for Excused Absence” is required in advance of the absence.

Regular school attendance is important to promote consistency in learning and student achievement. In addition, arrival to school on time is important to develop a routine for a successful school day. Excessive tardiness to school and frequent early dismissals are detrimental to the learning environment. We encourage students to strive for a good attendance record. We will work with individual situations when students are sick or have a serious family emergency. Although wonderful oppor-tunities, family vacations are not considered educational experiences and will not be excused for prior approval unless they are specifically designed for an educational purpose. If a student misses 5 consecutive days, a doctor’s note will be required.

PTA POWER SCHOOLS (POWER PARENT)

Parents and students have the opportunity to log into a secure network and access student grades online. We began using this system in 2013. It is effective in keeping parents abreast of their child’s academic progress. In order to keep grades accurate, teachers will update grades in their electronic grade books at least every two weeks. Teachers will continue to send printed interims in the middle of each nine weeks and notify you if there is a change. Parents can receive a Power Schools log-in for their child and themselves by completing a form which can be picked up in the main office. If a parent or student gets locked out of Power Schools they can re-quest a password reset on the Power Schools website.

ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS LATE ARRIVAL

When it is necessary for a student to arrive at school after the tardy bell, the student should report to the main office with a note from the parent or physician, sign in, and receive a tardy slip to class. Once a student accumulates 6 unexcused tardies, the child will serve two lunch detentions.

A parent must sign out a student who needs to leave early. Please be prepared to show a

picture ID when checking out a student. We know that it is sometimes necessary to schedule doctor or dental appointments during the school day, however, please schedule them after school hours or during track-out whenever possible. A student will only be permitted to leave the campus with those listed on their emergency card. In an emergency situation, we may accept a phone call or note from a parent. Please arrive before 2:50 PM to check out a student. If you arrive after this time, the office will call your child to report to carpool directly following the 3:03 PM announcements.

EARLY DISMISSAL

or materials that are not readily available in the home or available for the student’s use through school. *The amount of homework assigned should not exceed 90 minutes in Grades 6-8. *Homework should be designed to help students with a wide range of subjects and to reinforce and apply skills. Types of homework activities might include applying skills used in class, conducting experiments, doing research, practicing, reading, writing, observing, memo-rizing, preparing exhibits, making up missed work due to absences, and conducting interviews. *Homework will be checked and feedback provided. *Homework will not factor into the student’s academic average/grade. *Homework may be assigned over the weekend at the teacher’s discretion.

HOMEWORK – See our website (wcpss.net/

heritagems) for a copy of our complete grading policy or see page 12 of this handbook. The use of homework as reinforcement and practice is an important factor for academic success for all students. Each classroom teacher will communicate with students the expecta-tions for homework assignments. *Homework is required and should be completed as assigned. *Homework is a prerequisite for a student to qualify for retest or test correction opportunities. *Homework will reinforce what is taught. * A student will know what is expected and the task assigned will be within the student’s ability. *Homework assignments will not be given as punish-ment or busy work. *Homework assignments will not require use of books

STUDENT WORK AND GRADES

Reading Strategies What you should do every time you read for all classes…

Warm Up Your Mind Read title, headings, pictures & graphs, BEFORE YOU READ THE CHAPTER OR SECTION—you’ll understand more.

Purpose Why are you reading? To summarize? To answer questions? Pre-read questions, scan using key word, skim for main ideas, or take notes. Read with your goal in mind.

Predict Use the title or prior readings to guess what it’s about.

Personal Connections Think of your life, experiences and knowledge—What do you already know about the topic you are reading about?

Self Monitor Pay attention and focus. Ask yourself after each sentence, paragraph and when you finish the section. Do you understand? Do you remember what you just read?

Visualize Create a mental picture or movie about what you are reading.

Word Attack Look at the structure of the word—examine for prefixes, suffixes and the root word to help decode unknown words.

Context Clues Use sentences around the section you don’t understand to help figure out the meaning.

Infer Looking at the facts/evidence you know to be true, make conclusions.

Reread Read parts or words again to understand confusing parts or to find main ideas, author’s purpose, tone, and mood.

Use Resources Use a dictionary, glossary or other resource to look up important words you still don’t understand.

Summarize After reading each paragraph, stop and put the main ideas in your own words [silently or in writing]. By the end of the passage, you should be able summarize all the para-graphs to get the meaning of the whole assignment.

Synthesize Combine key ideas and facts from other chapters and/or other class materials to get a complete understanding.

Scan Use a key word in a question to find the answer easily.

Skim Reread parts of passages you understood just to check your answers or conclusions

It is the responsibility of the student to request make-up work in advance of an anticipated absence. Keep the following guidelines in mind:

If the absence is approved in advance and/or if the work is as-signed by the teacher in advance, all make-up work, including tests assigned for the day of return, is due upon the student’s return to school.

If the make-up work has not been assigned in advance, for absences of 1-3 days, the student will have 1 day for each day absent. For absences exceeding 3 days, the student may have 2 days for each day absent to make up the work.

In the event that a student is out unexpectedly, and will be out for several days, a parent may request make up work by emailing the teacher or team leader. If the student is only going to be absent for one day, he/she can receive the assignments upon return the next day. Due to teaching re-sponsibilities, teachers will need 24 hours to collect work for a student. Collected work assignments will be available for pick-up in the front of-fice. Please call the main office 919-562-6204 before you arrive to make sure work is ready for pick-up.

building near the windmill or through carpool. These students are not permitted in the building or fields before 3:03 PM. They may enter at the rear entrance to the gym. Parents should not enter the bus lot. Bus riders will use the loop at the back of the school. Student safety is a major concern. Following designated traffic patterns will pro-mote safety for pedestrians and car occupants.

Students who are tracked out may not ride the bus to or from school or remain on campus during the day. If they have staff permis-sion to attend a daytime event, a parent or responsible adult must bring the student to school and pick them up after the event concludes.

In order to maintain a safe environment for our students to grow and learn, please follow all rules for arrival/dismissal. All car riders should be dropped off and picked up at the front of the school under/near the awning. When leav-ing our carpool lane all traffic must turn right and proceed through the loop at Heritage Elementary School. This maintains a safe flow of traffic. Please do not drop off students on Rogers Road or Franklin Road.

Do not pass other vehicles in the car pool lane. We maintain a single line of traffic throughout the carpool line. It is preferable that you drop off tracked out students for athletics and/or rehearsals at the rear of the

STUDENT MAKE-UP WORK POLICY FOR ABSENCES

CAR RIDERS

BUS TRANSPORTATION

Students are expected to leave by their regular means of transportation. Any request for a change in transportation MUST be made 45 minutes prior to dismissal time. Please do not leave a voice message about transportation changes.

School transportation is

a privilege, not a right.

WCPSS transportation offices will provide bus service to Heritage Middle School. Please call 919-805-3030 for transporta-tion questions. Students at all times, while riding a school bus or other school vehicle ,will observe the directives of the school bus driver. Safety is our primary concern. Live bus updates are available at wcpss.net.

**Students are not permitted to ride a bus other than the bus they are assigned to by WCPSS transportation Department, 919-805-3030.**

TRANSPORTAT ION CHANGES

WALKERS

Students who plan to walk off campus must have a note from a parent that grants permission

to walk. Parent contact information should be included. The permission note must be

brought to Student Services before school starts in order to verify the letter with the parent during the day. The student should keep the authorized note with them at

all times.

Students requiring prescription medica-tion or over the counter medications at school must have a WCPSS Form 1702 completed, signed, and on file at school. The form requires both the physician’s signature and parent’s signature. Medi-cation must be provided in the current pharmacy container with the student’s name, medication type, dosage, and dis-pensation orders clearly stated. Over the counter medication must be in the origi-nal container. The information on the medication bottle must match the physi-cian’s instructions on the 1702. Only des-ignated school personnel will dispense medication to students.

Medications are kept in our Student Services office in a locked cabinet. Students MAY NOT carry any medica-tions (including over the counter medications such as: Tylenol, Advil, cough syrup) on their person. Students requiring a personal inhaler for asthma or other self administered emergency medications will be permitted to keep their medication with them at all times, however a 1702 form must be on file in Student Services, signed by the physician and parent stating the student may self-administer. Teachers have cake icing available in each classroom for use with a diabetic student in case of an emergency.

In order to ensure the safety of our students and staff, we require that every person who visits our campus register in the office, provide a government-issued ID, and receive a visitor pass for identification. These measures apply at all times, from 7:00 AM—4:00 PM.

*Staff members wear ID badges. *Cafeteria staff and WCPSS maintenance workers

will wear uniforms. *Parents and all other visitors to campus will sign

in at the office and wear a visitor’s badge with name and current date.

Students should be aware of staff identification. Students should not approach any adult not wearing identification and should report such a person to a staff member. Heritage Middle School will have a full-time School Resource Officer to assist with safety and security. All Wake County Schools are SMOKE-FREE campuses. Please adhere to this policy and help us set a good example for students. Smoking is prohibited at ALL times on campus, including all buildings, athletic fields, and school grounds.

MEDICAL REGULATIONS

SAFETY AND SECURITY ON CAMPUS

the check, as well as home address, phone number, and parent’s driver’s license number. Pre-payments for lunches should be taken to the cafe-teria upon arrival to school. Students presenting checks during lunch time will only be allowed to purchase lunch (with no extras). You may also pay online for lunches at www.MySchoolBucks.com (use school code 444) or contact the cafeteria at 919.562.6204, Ext. 22509. Please note that funds paid on-line will not be available for 24 hours.

CAFETERIA

Students may bring their own lunch or purchase lunch in the cafeteria. Breakfast is also available daily. Current prices for middle schools, at time of this printing are: $1.30 for breakfast and $2.50 for lunch. Reduced costs are $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch. Student ID numbers, which can be found on student’s sched-ule, will be used for the keypads in the cafeteria. If you send a check with your student for prepayment of meals, please make sure you include your child’s name and Student ID# on

S ICK CALLS

Students who are ill and need to call parents should report to the front office to call. This is

important, since the office personnel need to know where

the student is when a parent arrives for checkout. Please

ask your child not to use their cell phone to call or text home

as cell phones will be confiscated if used or seen at

inappropriate times. Cell phones should be secured and powered off at all times during school hours, unless approved

for BYOD learning.

VIS ITORS ON CAMPUS

All visitors and volunteers to campus are required to sign in on the laptop at the front desk, scan their driver’s

license, and wear a visitor’s badge. Board Policy specifi-cally prohibits students from other campuses/schools from being present on another school campus without

the prior consent of school officials.

Visitor parking is designated in the front of the school. If all visitor spaces are full, you may also park in the staff park-ing lot in any numbered space. Please do not park in the four reserved spaces, 4-7, or in a handicapped space without the proper disability placard displayed.

It is the policy (6410-III-3) of the Wake County Board of Education that all schools and places of employment within the

Wake County Public School System shall be free of all unauthorized weapons. No student or other person shall possess,

handle, or transmit any weapon, facsimile of a weapon, dangerous instrument/substance or other object that can reasonably be

considered or used as a weapon or dangerous instrument/substance. This does not apply to any student who finds a weapon or

dangerous instrument/substance on school property or receives it from another person on school property and who immediate-

ly reports the weapon or dangerous instrument/substance to school or law enforcement authorities.

a. Weapon: Any firearm, BB gun, stun gun, mace/pepper spray, air r ifle, air pistol, ammunition, power loads, fire-

works, knife, slingshot, leaded cane, blackjack, metallic knuckles, razors, razor blades except cartridge razors used solely for

personal shaving, box cutter, and any sharp-pointed or edged instrument except instructional supplies, unaltered nail files and

clips and tools used solely for preparation of food, instruction, and maintenance.

b. Dangerous Instruments/Substances: Any object or substance that is possessed, handled, transmitted, or used for the purpose

of causing or attempting to cause physical injury.

c. Facsimile of a Weapon: Any copy of a weapon that could reasonably be perceived to be a real weapon.

WEAPONS AND DANGEROUS INSTRUMENTS

EMERGENCY DRILLS

School officials are required to conduct fire, tornado and lockdown drills throughout the school year. The purpose of these drills is to ensure safety procedures are followed in case of an emergency. Students should become familiar with the evacuation plan for each room on their class schedule. During a fire drill, students should exit the building in an orderly manner, stay quiet, and remain with classroom teacher.

BULLY POLICY

The staff of HMS expects that each student should have a safe and comfortable learning environment. The state has adopted laws to protect students and WCPSS. While we cannot share all details of the policy in this space, please reference the WCPSS Student/Parent Handbook. No student’s behaviors should create an environment that inhibits the performance or learning opportunities of another student.

INTERNET ACCESS & BYOD (BR ING YOUR OWN DEVICE)

WCPSS offers Internet access for student use. Access to the Internet enables students to explore thousands of libraries, databases and bulletin boards while exchanging information with Internet users throughout the world. Students must adhere to Internet Policy 6446 in the WCPSS Board Policies. If not followed appropriately, access can be denied. **ALL middle school students will receive a WCPSS email account. Students and staff should use their WCPSS emails to communicate with each other. HMS is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) school. Students may bring their personal, wireless devices and use them for instructional purposes only when given permission from one of their teachers. Students are required to comply with HMS BYOD rules and policies. Students can also use the school computers and iPads for internet access. Bringing your own device to school is an option and not required .

See page 13 for more details.

Excessively tight garments including yoga pants, leggings, etc. that are not appropriately covered with a long, loose-fitting shirt

Bare midriff or strapless shirts (Straps must be 2 inches wide-approximately 3 finger widths)

Attire with messages or illustra-tions that are lewd, indecent, vulgar or that advertise any product or service not permitted by law to minors.

Head covering of any kind (reasonable accommodations for reli-gious or medical needs may be made)

See-through clothing

Attire that exposes cleavage

Any adornment such as chains or spikes that could reasonably be perceived as or used as a weapon

Students are expected to adhere to standards of dress and appearance that are compatible with an effective learning environment. Wearing clothing which is disruptive, provoc-ative, revealing, profane, vulgar, of-fensive, or obscene, or which endan-gers the health and safety of the stu-dent or others is prohibited. Exam-ples of prohibited dress or appear-ance include, but are not limited to:

Exposed undergarments (boxers, camis, etc.)

Sagging pants

Excessively short skirts/shorts (middle-fingertip length when arms are relaxed). Please note: wearing tights or leggings does not extend the length of your attire.

Any symbols, styles or attire frequently associated with intimi-dation, violence, or violent groups about which students at a particu-lar school have been notified.

Pajama pants, bedroom shoes or slippers According to Board of Education policy, if a student’s dress or appear-ance is such that it constitutes a threat to the health or safety of others, distracts the attention of other students or staff from their work or otherwise violates the dress code, the principal or principal’s designee may require the student to change his or her dress or appearance. A second or repeated violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action.

STUDENT DRESS CODE

7:30 am – 4:00 pm. Cell phones should be secured, out of sight, and must remain in the off position during school hours. Personal electronic devices may be brought to school with teacher permission for specific instructional purposes following our BYOD policies. Teachers frequently allow students to bring their own devices to school (phone, tablet, etc.) for instructional reasons. This is permitted, but only with teacher permission.

Electronic items that have value but no purpose at school are prohibited, unless approved for BYOD learning. The school will not accept responsibility for these items nor will any staff member spend time looking for “lost” items that should not have come to school in the first place. Items of this nature may be confiscated and returned only to a parent and may be picked up during office hours,

LOCKERS DELIVERIES

Deliveries of flowers, balloons, etc. will not be accepted for students at school. These items are not allowed in the classroom or on the bus. Please celebrate special occasions after school hours. If you provide food for your child’s class, it must be store-bought.

LOST AND FOUND

Heritage Middle School students will have a locker on their academic hall as well as a gym locker for use during PE class. The school will provide locks for the academic wing lockers which will

remain, at all times, under control of the school. A $6.00 replacement fee will be

charged for lost hall locks. Students new to HMS will need to

purchase a lock from the school store($6.00) for their PE locker. This lock can

be used for PE every year and will belong to the student.

Lost and found items are placed in the bin near the gym. Small items

are kept in the main office. Students are responsible for check-

ing immediately when items are lost. We donate lost and found

items to charity regularly (every time the tracks change) and we

remind students via the daily announcements when we plan to

donate those items. When they are gone, they are gone for good.

PERSONAL ITEMS AT SCHOOL

HMS operates a small school store which is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:50-8:15 am to purchase school-related items (pencils, paper, note-books, agendas, locks, etc.) Please send cash or checks made payable to Heritage Middle School. For your convenience, you can make online purchases by Visa or MasterCard, debit or credit card. Bring your receipt to the store to pick up items. Returned checks will be subject to a $10.00 processing fee. Students are prohib-ited from selling items of any nature to other students (i.e. candy, personal items, clothing, etc.). You may go to osp.osmsinc.com/wakenc (or to our school website www.wcpss.net/heritagems) to make school store purchases. You may use this service to pay for locks, student agendas, field trips, lost books, club fees, etc. There is a 4% convenience fee to pay on-line.

SCHOOL STORE AND ONL INE PURCAHSES

ITEMS DROPPED OFF

In an effort to help students grow into responsi-ble adults and to avoid important classroom instructional time, HMS will no longer allow students to call home for forgotten items. If you must drop off items for your child, they will receive the item at lunch or the end of the day. Please keep in mind that our cafeteria will pro-vide a fruit and vegetable lunch if students forget their lunch.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

Whenever school is in session and the WCPSS Superintendent declares an early dismissal due to inclement weather, that office will communi-cate that information to all local ra-dio and TV stations. It will also be posted on the home page of our website WCPSS.net/heritagems and WCPSS.net. It will also be communicated through various social media outlets. This procedure allows our staff to dismiss students in a timely and orderly manner. On any day that the Superintendent decides that school will not open for students or will open on a delayed schedule, that office will communicate that information to all local radio, TV stations, and WCPSS.net. Generally, year-round schools make up a missed school day on the following Saturday for a half-day session. Neither breakfast nor lunch is provided on half-day Saturdays. Breakfast will not be served on delayed open-ings. WCPSS will also communicate school delays and closings via social media.

STUDENT E -MAIL ACCOUNTS

All middle school students will be

issued a WCPSS email account per

Board Policy 6446 R&P.

Parents may opt out, if desired.

Students may

communicate with

teachers using only

their WCPSS email

account. Staff are not

permitted to

correspond with

students via personal email (i.e.

Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) or

through social media.

INTERRUPTIONS TO INSTRUCTION

In an effort to make the most of instructional time, the Wake County Board of Education has adopted a poli-cy to reduce interruptions during regular classroom time. Students can learn best and teachers can teach best when instructional time is not interrupted by overhead announcements, unexpected visitors, or messages from the school’s main office. Please make sure you communicate any messages (transportation changes, appointments, etc.) to your student prior to coming to school. Anytime we have to interrupt in-structional time to get your child a message or to pick up a forgotten item we are disrupting the entire class.

Students will not be permitted to call home for forgotten items.

PE Uniforms will be available from

https://heritagepe17.itemorder.com;

Your order will be sent to school in 3-4 weeks and delivered to your child. We will

no longer sell uniforms in the school store.

Your child will not be penalized while the uniform is on order, but your child should

bring a change of clothes for PE classes.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACT IVIT IES AND AFTER SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES

CLUBS

ATHLETICS

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

All clubs at HMS are school-sponsored and curriculum related.

We announce club-related information on daily intercom

announcements and post information on the school website.

Clubs can include: Chess; Battle of the Books; Future Business

Leaders of America; Science Olympiad; Fellowship of Christian

Athletes; Global Citizen’s Club; Honors Chorus;

Jazz Band; Drama; Dance Company; Take-A-

Hike Club; Family, Career and Community

Leaders of America; Technology Student

Association; etc.

We also participate in National Jr. Honor Society

and Student Council.

The Kerr Family YMCA operates an After School Program that

serves HMS at the Kerr YMCA facility.

Information may be obtained by calling 919-562-9622.

Heritage Middle School is a member of the WCPSS Middle School Northern Conference. All procedures, guidelines, and rules are governed by policies established by the Wake County Board of Education, the State Board of Education, and the NC High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA). Seventh and eighth grade students are permitted to try out for athletic teams. Information about tryouts will be available online at www.wcpss.net/heritagems. Coaches provide information to share with parents and they also have parent meetings for those students who are selected for a team. A current Middle School Participation Form and Parent/Player Agreement must be on file with the Athletic Director before a student is permitted to tryout. If all forms are not turned in AND completed prior to the stated date, the student will not be permitted to participate in try-outs. See www.wcpss.net/page/1459 for full athletic eligibility details and forms. Please drop off tracked out students for athletics at the rear of the building near the windmill. Parents should not enter the bus lot with their vehicle. Tracked out athletes are not permitted in the building or on the fields before 3:03 PM. They may enter at the rear entrance to the gym. Our Athletic Director is Matt Hrbek and can be reached at 919-562-62047 Ext. 22505.

Sports offered at HMS include… Boys: Football, Basketball, Track, Soccer and Baseball Girls: Cheerleading, Soccer, Volley-ball, Basketball, Track, and Softball

Parents have the option of purchasing Student Accident Insurance for their child.

Please visit wcpss.net and click on the “Parent” tab for information. All students wishing to

try out for athletic programs must carry accident insurance. Refer to Board Policy 3720 for details.

Heritage Middle Grading Policy

At Heritage Middle School we believe that grades should be an accurate reflection of student learning and a

primary way to communicate this to both students and their families. We believe that behavior and work hab-

its should be measured separately from academic grades and should not be factored into students’ academic

grades.

The two primary questions that will guide our grading policy are:

1. Do my assessment/practice assignments align with (and only with) the curriculum?

2. Does a student’s numeric average represent their knowledge of the curriculum?

To this end, the following will serve as our guide for grading/assessing students’ academic performance:

1. We will use a total points system.

2. We follow a 10 point grade scale.

3. Homework/Classwork is practice and is not graded. Only assessments are counted as a grade.

4. Behavior/Work Habits shall not be factored into academic grades. They will be communicated to all stu-

dents who are struggling in this area at least quarterly using either a rubric or through specific comments

posted in Power Parent.

5. Zeros shall not be counted, except in rare cases with administrative approval. Teams will incorporate

weekly academic recovery for students to complete work.

6. Homework and Practice shall not be factored into the student’s academic average for any quarter. The

purpose of homework is for practice.

7. Homework shall not exceed 90 minutes for all subjects combined on any given day.

8. Homework shall not be assigned over holidays or over track outs. However, homework may be assigned

over weekends at teacher discretion. Long-term projects that span weekends, holidays or track outs may

be assigned to allow flexibility to families, but the due date shall not be within the first few days of return-

ing to school.

9. All students with a 79% and below shall be provided at least the opportunity to re-test/complete test cor-

rections (assessments) given specific team parameters. All students shall be given this opportunity at least

twice per quarter (one prior to interims and one after interims) in each class. Teacher Teams (6.1, 7.2, 8.3,

etc.) have the option to allow students who score 80%-99% the opportunity for test corrections/retests as

well, but this is a team-based decision. Test corrections will always be for ½ credit. Teacher Teams can

also set the eligibility parameters required for the completion of test corrections/retests.

10. Student grades shall not be negatively impacted for non-academic or non-curricular variables (such as no

name on the paper, wrong size paper, no parent signature, cheating, etc.). Cheating will be addressed

through the discipline process.

11. Extra Credit shall not be offered to students. Students have the opportunity to improve their grade by fol-

lowing the guidelines in #9.

12. When students are absent for 1-3 days they shall be given 1 day for each day they were absent to make up

their work with no penalty. When students are absent for more than 3 days, they shall be given 2 days for

each day they were absent to make up their work with no penalty.

13. Students shall be provided a minimum of five (5) school days beyond any graded assignment due date to

submit the graded assignment with up to a 10% penalty.

14. Interims shall be given at the midpoint of each grading period for any student who is failing a course or

whose course grade has dropped by a letter grade or more. In addition, the teacher shall call or e-mail the

parent/guardian to discuss ways to help the student be successful for any student who has an “F” in a

course.

15. Power Parent shall be updated at a minimum of once every 2 weeks.

Hallway Restroom Cafeteria

Have

Respect For All

Follow adult directions Monitor volume when

talking (inside voice) Use appropriate

language Show good manners to

others Respect student work

Wash hands Flush toilet Respect privacy Take care of school

property

Monitor voice level Be courteous and polite

to cafeteria staff and others

Respect others’ personal space

Follow directions for use of vending machines and restrooms

Quiet at administrator’s signal

Make

Ourselves Accountable

Go directly to designation

Be prompt and prepared Food and beverages

only in designated areas and times

Make use of scheduled breaks

Return to class promptly Report any problems,

inappropriate behavior, and graffiti to adults

Use table manners Clean your area (floor/

table) Stack trays Wait for your teacher’s

sign at dismissal Report to your cleaning

duty as assigned

Show Safe

and Responsible Actions

Walk to the right No more than 3

students wide Move in a timely

fashion No physical contact Secure your locker Be in assigned area

Refrain from horseplay Use water and paper

towel holder properly Trash in trash can

Wait patiently for your turn in line

Clean up spills Recycle appropriate

items

Arrival/Dismissal Assembly Field Trip Media Center

Be quiet and attentive during announcements (morning/afternoon)

Be respectful during the Pledge of Allegiance (if in hallway—stop, observe the Pledge until it is over then continue)

Listen actively—sit with your feet on the floor, follow performers with your eyes, and listen carefully to what’s being said

Clap respectfully at appropriate times

Listen to and follow adult instructions

Remain quiet during assemblies

Listen actively Participate positively Be courteous and polite Use appropriate

language

Get a pass from your teacher

Come in with an appropriate volume level

Sign-in at the circulation desk and drop off pass

Use appropriate language

Sign-out when leaving Have media center staff

sign and time your pass

Report to breakfast or homeroom and then have a pass to go to another area of the building

If you have to leave your seat, alert your teacher and wait for an appropriate moment

Make good choices even when no one is looking

Keep questions on topic Stay in your personal

space Participate appropriately

as directed by presenters

Be a leader by making good choices when no one is watching

Act as a positive role model for your group/peers

Take care of your personal space and common areas on the bus and field trip location

Represent HMS with pride

Go directly to your destination

Come to the media center with a purpose (ex. Get a book, use a computer for school work, etc.)

Food and drink are not allowed (unless approved by media center staff)

Gum is not allowed at any time

During announcements, stop all activity (reading, writing, etc.)

Remain seated with your team/class/teacher until directed to move by an adult

Food and drink should be enjoyed in appropriate places

Leave your area better that you found it

Leave lecture desks stowed in the auditorium

Turn in all necessary forms/money on time

Observe school/bus rules

Remain with your group/class during tours

Follow adult directions

Wait patiently for your turn in line

No more than 5 from a class without the teacher

Time spent socializing kept to a minimum

Be in the correct location of your pass