Missisquoi Valley Union

If at any time during the school year you move to another address, have your phone number changed, or have a change of legal guardianship, please notify the school at once so that this information may be correct for mailings and other necessary school contact. Contact the Guidance secretary at 868-7311 x129.

No animals (pets) are allowed on MVU property with the exception of service animals, drug/law enforcement dogs, and animals directly associated with the AG program.

Students who accrue unpaid obligations resulting from damaged or lost textbooks, supplies, library books, unpaid lunches or restitution for deliberate or accidental damage to school property may have final transcripts or report cards withheld at the end of the school year/term until all monies due are collected.

The building is opened in the morning at 7:15 am and will be locked at 3:00pm. Students may not gain access to the building prior to that time. We ask that parents not leave their students before 7:15 am unless prior arrangements have been made. For reasons of safety and security, students and visitors may only enter and exit the building through the front door. If you are going to or coming from J-pod you are directed to use the door near the High School Office. Upon first entering the building, visitors must sign in and register with the receptionist and obtain a visitor’s pass.

Students involved in an activity after school (2:40) may remain in the building, but only under the DIRECT supervision of the faculty advisor/coach. If you are found to be in the building unsupervised, a call will be made to have your parent pick you up.

Students should be on time at the designated school bus stops and should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before attempting to enter. While on the bus, students should keep hands and heads inside the bus at all times. Remember that loud talking and laughing divert the bus driver’s attention and make safe driving difficult. Horseplay is not permitted around or on the school bus. Failure to comply with appropriate bus behavior may result in losing the privilege of using the school bus as a means of transportation to school.

• Bus riders should never tamper with the bus.

• Do not leave books, lunches, or other articles on the bus.

• Do not throw anything out of the windows.

• Bus riders are not permitted to leave their seats while the bus is in motion.

• Bus riders are expected to be courteous to fellow pupils and to the bus driver.

• Be absolutely quiet when approaching a railroad crossing.

• When you ride a bus, you are considered to be in school and all rules and regulations apply.

1. The daily transportation of pupils is a privilege accorded by the school system. It is not a mandatory statutory requirement. It is strongly recommended that all students ride the bus both to and from school.

2. Any violation of the regulations will be reported to the appropriate building Administrators. After consultation with the driver, the building Administrators may impose the following penalties:

a. First offense – warning

b. Second offense – three (3) day removal of riding privileges

c. Third offense – five (5) day removal of riding privileges

d. Fourth offense – removal of riding privileges for the remainder of the year

In the event the conduct of a student is deemed to be of such a serious nature that the safety and/or welfare of others are endangered, the student will face immediate removal from the bus. In addition to the above, the Administration reserves the discretion to revoke transportation privileges for a specified period of time.

During the period of suspension of bus privileges, the parents:

a. are responsible for providing transportation for their child and

b. may seek relief through an informal appeal to the Superintendent.

After school busing will be made available on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Students making use of this service are asked to board their bus at 3:45 pm. Transportation will be provided to central locations in Franklin, Highgate and Swanton. Please remember that all rules which apply to regular busing are in effect for these routes as well.

Any student traveling to BFA must ride the school bus provided by the District. Exceptions can only be granted with the prior approval of the BFA Administration, the MVU Administration and a parent/guardian.

[Failure to follow this procedure will result in disciplinary action as outlined in Group C of the Code of Conduct.]

The school commons is organized and maintained for student convenience and provides a variety of well-balanced lunches at reasonable cost. Please deposit all lunch litter in the barrels provided and return trays and utensils to the dishwashing area. We ask that you leave the commons in a condition you would like to find it for your lunch. If you choose not to clean up your area, disciplinary consequences will be assigned according to Group C of the Code of Conduct. Likewise, leaving Commons during your assigned lunchtime without a pass will result in disciplinary action.

Students must follow the directions and requests of every adult in this school. Failure to do so jeopardizes order, may risk safety and may result in strict disciplinary action defined by the situation.

We would appreciate your cooperation in:

a. Not using the front lobby except for entering the school upon arrival, leaving the school for an early dismissal, to attend a class in the Ag. building, or if you have business in the front office or the nurse, or the SRO.

b. Not blocking traffic by standing in groups

c. Quietly passing through hallways, being considerate of others

d. Walking at all times, not running

e. Discarding trash in the containers provided. Please help to keep our school clean.

During the year, our Middle School Parent Support Group, Project Graduation, the Guidance Department, and the Administration sponsor programs for parents. Notices of these meetings will be sent home with students, published in the newspapers, and in the school newsletter, which is mailed home monthly. We strongly encourage and welcome parent attendance.

Any student group, which uses this facility after hours, is responsible for leaving it in the condition they found it prior to the event/activity. The advisor and officers must decide in advance whether cleanup will be accomplished by their group or our custodial staff at a rate of $20.00/hour (subject to change). Please be reminded that unsatisfactory self-cleanup will require additional work from our custodial/maintenance staff and will carry associated charges. The Director of Buildings and Grounds and the Principal’s Secretary is to be so advised at the time of scheduling the event. All after-school events must be approved by the Director of Buildings and Grounds and the Principal’s Secretary and recorded only on the master calendar. Sponsors of an event are advised that they must verify a date and time with the Director of Buildings and Grounds and the Principal’s Secretary prior to scheduling the actual event. Cancellations must also be reported to them.

1. The health office is staffed by one experienced, certified, registered nurse and a nurse’s assistant.

2. An emergency form will be provided for each student the first week of school. It is important that this form be completed and returned to the nurse or her assistant.

3. Students who become ill during the school day should report to the health office with a pass from the teacher, emergencies excluded. If it is necessary that the student be sent home, the nurse or her assistant will make arrangements. If a student fails to follow this policy, he/she will be considered to have left the school building without proper permission or authorization.

4. All PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION THAT MUST BE TAKEN during school hours must be brought to the nurse at the start of the school day and remain in the health office. These medications MUST BE DELIVERED IN THE ORIGINAL PRESCRIPTION CONTAINER and bear the following information: student’s name, physician’s name, prescription number, date and dosage. An authorization form signed by the physician and the parent/guardian must also accompany the medication. These forms are available in the nurse’s office.

5. Non-prescription medication must be accompanied by a written request from the parent or guardian of a student bringing such medication to school. The request must contain assurances that the student has suffered no previous ill effects form the use of medication. Medication must be left in the custody of the school nurse or her assistant.

6. Only the nurse, or her designee during her lunch period, may administer medication.

7. Students with chronic illnesses, (asthma, diabetes), who self-administer their own medication may continue to do so after providing the nurse or her assistant with a physician’s order.

8. To excuse students from physical education on any given day, the nurse or her assistant must have a note from a parent/guardian. Longterm exemption (three days or more) requires a physician’s note of explanation.

9. Please alert the health office of any new or unresolved health concerns that have occurred either during the summer or during the school year (i.e., surgery, hospitalization, illness, immunizations).

10. Parents/guardians are requested to notify the nurse or her assistant if a student is absent three or more days due to a health-related problem. They are also requested to notify the nurse or her assistant if they are to be away or unavailable and provide the nurse or her assistant with an appropriate contact person.

11. REMINDER: If the nurse or her assistant is on duty, the exterior door must be used for entrance and exit. The door in the front office area is not to be used by students.

The school shall provide an opportunity for communication with the pupil, parent or guardian, and physician regarding the efficacy of the medication administered during school hours.

State Law requires that all students be properly immunized and a record of these immunizations to be on file with the School Nurse. In cases where verification is lacking, the School Nurse will notify parents that this requirement must be met.

As part of our progress toward becoming a full service school, arrangements have been made to provide access to a physician one day per week. “Dr. Chip” Chiappinelli from Mousetrap Pediatrics will be at MVU most Thursdays for MVU students only. Appointments can be scheduled by calling Mousetrap Pediatrics (527-8189 ext 2) or through the school nurse at 868-7311 ext. 124.

Insurance for students is available at a very reasonable cost. We strongly recommend that parents take full advantage of it. In the event of an accident, please be sure to report it to the teacher in charge, or the health office, as soon as possible. Likewise file your claim as soon as possible, because there is a time limit. Claim forms are available from the Student Health Office. The school nurse, the physician, and your parent/guardian must fill out all claims.

The MVU library houses a growing collection of materials useful for courses offered at this school. All students are welcome to use the library resources for research. Library hours are from 7:45 am to 3:30 pm. During the school day, student access to the library is by a pass from a member of the library staff. Students who choose to leave the library before the end of the block must have their pass signed by the library staff. In addition, a classroom teacher may issue a ten-minute pass. These passes are to be used to check out books or to read newspapers. Homework, which does not require the use of library resources, is to be done in study hall. Books may be borrowed for a period of four (4) weeks. One renewal is permitted unless another patron has requested the book. All reference materials including encyclopedias, atlases, etc. must remain in the library for student sharing. All periodicals must be used in the library only. Photocopy work, which is not in violation of the Copyright Law, can be done with the assistance of the library staff. No fee is charged for a reasonable amount of school-related photocopying with the understanding that the library photocopier is to be used for library resources only. When books or materials are not available in the MVU library, the staff will try to obtain the necessary materials through inter-library loan.

In an effort to create a pleasant and productive atmosphere for quiet research and study, the following simple rules guide its use:

1. Students are expected to work quietly.

2. Food and drink are not permitted.

3. There are to be no more than four students per table.

4. Students are expected to use the library primarily for access to resource materials.

Library materials represent a costly investment to the school, and we want them used extensively by all students. Use of these materials is a privilege and a responsibility. If you sign out a book, you have made a commitment to return it on the date due so that others may also have use of it. Our librarian will notify you of overdue books. Students with overdue books may not borrow another book until the overdue item is returned. Chronic offenders of this policy may be subject to loss of certain privileges such as attending school dances or other such co-curricular activities.

If efforts to have books returned are unsuccessful, a letter requesting replacement cost will notify parents. Please remember that encyclopedias and other reference materials are to be used only in the library. Removing them without permission will be considered theft and handled accordingly.

In order to use the library computers for Internet access, students must have a valid Internet pass. Applications are in the front of this Parent- Student Handbook.

Student lockers are school property and remain at all times under the control of the school; however, students are expected to assume full responsibility for the security of their lockers.

Students are assigned a new locker each year by the Administration. It is the expectation of the Administration that all students are to use their lockers for storing textbooks, school supplies, etc. STUDENTS MUST PROTECT THEIR PERSONAL EFFECTS AND SCHOOL ISSUED TEXTBOOKS/ SUPPLIES BY USING A LOCK AT ALL TIMES. STUDENTS SHOULD NOT SECURE PERSONAL VALUABLES, LARGE SUMS OF MONEY, OR ANY EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT IN THEIR LOCKER(S). Such valuables may be secured in the High School Office on any day when necessary. Students need to be aware that an Administrator has a legal right to search a student’s locker(s) at any time. Students are not to change their locker assignment without obtaining permission from the Administration.

The school will not be responsible for personal property that turns up missing or damaged in our lockers and locker rooms. Please also note that PE lockers are not secure. At no time should anything of value be stored in them and they should only be used by students assigned a PE class and only during that block. Student athletes should likewise be cautious. The PE staff has been advised to keep both locker rooms locked when the last student has changed, and exited the locker room for reasons of safety and security.

Items found in or around the building or on school buses should be turned in to the front desk. Jewelry will remain at the front desk, and books and notebooks will be returned to the owners if they can be identified. Articles, such as clothing, should be marked with your name. Those articles, not claimed, will be stored in the commons in the designated lost and found area until the end of the year. If unclaimed, those articles will be donated to a charitable organization.

Because of the demands on the time of the front office staff, the following policies govern the operation of the front office:

1. School secretaries cannot make change for students. 2. Students should not use the front lobby except for entering the school upon arrival, leaving the school for an early dismissal, to attend a class in the Ag. building, or if you have business in the front office or the nurse, or the SRO.

3. Students are never to go beyond the counter without specific permission from a member of the office staff. 4. The office staff will issue no late passes to students unless office business was involved in detaining the student(s). 5. The photocopier in the front office is for the exclusive use of the Administration. A student’s needs for copying should be presented to individual teachers.

6. Students who wish to gain access to the High School Office are asked to enter the door by the High School Secretary.

Generally, we discourage messages to students except in cases where such communication is absolutely necessary as it can be disruptive to the learning environment. All messages to students of clear necessity, including those from home, will be delivered as soon as possible, but not during an academic class. Emergency situations will be communicated in the quickest, most appropriate way possible.

You are not allowed to leave a classroom, tutorial, study hall, library, or any other scheduled placement without a pre-arranged, pre-signed pass from your teacher. With the exception of cases of clear emergency, bathrooms should be used only between periods. Abuse of the pass system, roaming the halls, or loitering in commons/ bathrooms will result in disciplinary action. When leaving a classroom or other area with a pass, you will be asked to sign out in a log which your teacher will maintain. Failure to cooperate or follow this procedure will result in revocation of pass privileges. Concerns over behavior will also jeopardize this privilege.

Our school facility and its equipment belong to each of us, and we must demonstrate pride and care in its use. With limited resources, we cannot afford to repair and replace equipment or school property due to needless destruction. Everyone will be expected to pitch in to keep the school clean and pleasant. Students are never to stand on desks or chairs nor sit on tables. All paper and trash is to be placed in proper receptacles.

If inappropriate behavior results in deliberate or accidental damage, there must be full restitution for replacement or repair. Cases of deliberate vandalism will result in strict disciplinary action and criminal charges.

Students are not to loiter in the boys’ or girls’ rooms. Any student found doing so will initially be assigned to detention followed by further disciplinary action if the practice continues. Everyone is expected to help keep our rest rooms clean. Please also note that the C pod bathrooms are reserved for middle school use only. High school students may use the bathrooms in D pod, and J pod will be used for middle and high school students providing the student is currently scheduled for a class in J pod.

Notification of the delay or closing of school will be made via the Alert Now system and/or area TV and radio stations. Announcements are also on the local television stations. Public announcements will be made starting at 6:30am. There is no reason for students to call the administration, superintendent, bus drivers or school directors on this matter.

Students are required to have permission from the Office of Student Affairs and Buildings and Grounds. These signs are to be placed in designated areas, which will be outlined at the time of permission, in such a way as to not cause damage or clutter the school environment. Groups and individuals putting up signs are responsible for their removal at the proper time. Failure to secure permission or failure to put signs in the designated areas will subject those signs to removal.

In the interest of safety, throwing snowballs will not be permitted at any time.

1. If a teacher is absent from school or must leave during the day, the regular teacher will provide a plan for the substitute teacher to follow. Students are to be polite, respectful, and follow the directions of substitutes at all times.

2. It is expected that students will cooperate fully with substitute teachers. They are here to assist in the absence of the regular teacher. Assignments given to the substitute have been prepared by the regular teacher and will be given to him/her for grading and credit.

Any student who in any way attempts to take advantage of a substitute or interfere with the productivity of the class will be removed by either the Middle School Office or the Office of Student Affairs, and may subject to disciplinary intervention.

You are responsible for returning the texts loaned for each academic class. If they are damaged or lost, you must pay the cost of repair or replacement.

Students found writing or drawing on walls, desks, or other school property, or otherwise defacing, damaging, or destroying the same, should expect the following:

1. Parents will be notified.

2. The student will thoroughly clean or repair the marred / damaged surface (if possible).

3. The student will be financially responsible for repair or replacement if damage is not corrected.

[Disciplinary action is outlined in Group B of the Code of Conduct.]

1. MVU students are not permitted to bring visitors to school as it provides a distraction and can be disruptive to the educational environment.

2. All teachers who plan to have a guest in their classes should inform the appropriate building Administrator.

3. Any person who needs to visit the school for a brief transaction must sign in at the front desk. Passes will be issued to those leaving the front desk area in order to prevent trespassing and to ensure the safety of our community. The School Resource Officer will be monitoring visitors to the building to ensure the proper procedure.