Mission Statement

Carmel Middle School has an academic priority based in the California State Content Standards. We will deliver these academics with creativity that stretches students toward higher level thinking skills. We are keenly interested in the whole child and will use relevant, age-appropriate, and hands-on methods that foster student appreciation for learning and the world around us. We offer a broad selection of electives and stress the importance of these electives as our students explore their personal interests. We are dedicated to providing a safe and positive learning environment where students are given opportunities to develop their abilities and confidence for life-long learning. Personal health and fitness are significant to our mission. We want students to become increasingly self-motivated to make positive, healthy contributions to our world.

We believe that:

· High expectations lead to one's personal best.

· Staff, students, and parents are responsible for teaching and learning.

· Learning is a lifelong, enjoyable pursuit.

· A successful learning environment is dependent upon positive attitudes toward learning.

· All students can learn and must be provided many opportunities to learn.

· Safety, both physical and emotional, is essential.

· Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

· Students will be encouraged to support and work cooperatively with each other.

· No one person or group will be allowed to deprive another person of the opportunity to learn.

· Everyone is encouraged to choose a healthy lifestyle that promotes physical and emotional well being.

· A drug, alcohol, and tobacco free environment must be provided.

Code of Conduct

A major function of our school is the preparation of youth for responsible citizenship. All avenues shall be utilized to encourage the positive interaction of students. However, when misconduct occurs, the interventions that we employ are intended to help the student learn to exercise self-control. These interventions include, but are not limited to, the following: advising and counseling students; parental contacts and conferences; detention during and after school; the restriction of participation in school activities (including participation in after-school sports, student government and cheerleading, and attendance at non-academic assemblies and school dances); alternative learning environments; creative scheduling; and, when necessary, suspension and expulsion.

The School Discipline Policy

The Carmel Middle School Discipline Policy outlines the rules that shall be followed to provide a safe and orderly environment so that teachers can teach and students can learn. All school rules are based on district policy and state law. Parents and teachers review these rules annually. Policies and rules are enforced fairly, uniformly and consistently without regard to race, beliefs, economic status, or gender. If a student violates a school rule and/or policy, he/she may be issued a referral.

Referrals may be written for the following reasons, but not necessarily limited to:

Drugs, alcohol, fireworks, explosives, flammables, weapons, theft, extortion, assault, battery, vandalism property damage, student harassment, fighting, defiance of authority, cheating, forgery, sexual activity, failure to attend assigned detentions, smoking/tobacco, truancy, leaving campus, cutting classes, profanity, gum chewing, throwing objects, littering, possessing an inappropriate object, excessive tardiness to class, writing or marking on school property, or any other misbehavior which disrupts school activities. Teachers, substitute teachers, staff, or bus drivers make a referral to the administrators. Referrals are cumulative by semester.

I. Tardiness

The administration and staff at Carmel Middle School deem it important that all students learn the value of being punctual. To discourage tardiness, the following policy will be enforced:

A student is considered to be tardy if he/she is not in his/her seat prepared to work before the tardy bell rings (including first period).

For each tardy that occurs within a school trimester, the following consequence(s) will apply:

1^st Tardy: Teacher warning.

2^nd Tardy: Teacher warning.

3^rd Tardy: Office referral, parent contact,

and one-hour after-school detention.

4^th Tardy: Office referral, parent contact,

and one-hour after-school detention.

5^th Tardy: Office referral, parent contact, all day In-School Detention (ISD).

Tardies contribute towards a student being placed on Restricted Activities (which are described under section V).

II. Truancy

Students at Carmel Middle School are expected to attend school and all classes on a regular basis. A student is truant from school or from a class when he/she is absent without a valid parent or school staff excuse note on file with the attendance office. A student is considered to be truant from his/her first period class when he/she arrives at school without a valid parent excuse 30 minutes after the start of school. A student is considered truant from any class, periods 2-6, when he/she arrives to that class 10 minutes late without a valid excuse from a staff member or parent. Each time a student is truant, a referral is written, parents are notified, after-school detention is assigned or truancy proceedings are initiated. Note: teachers are not required to accept make-up work from a student who has been truant. Habitual truancy is dealt with through the District Attorney's office.

III. Disruptive Classroom Behavior

The administration and staff at Carmel Middle School hold fast to the belief that teachers have a right to teach and all students have a right to learn. Students who choose to be disruptive to the educational process will be warned. If the disruption continues, the teacher may elect to send the disruptive student to ISD on a drop-in basis. A student who is sent to ISD is given a drop-in referral. Upon arrival at ISD, the detention monitor will call the student’s parent that the drop-in has occurred. The teacher assigning the drop-in is responsible for notifying the parent, via phone conference or email, the reason for the drop-in. Three (3) drop-in referrals within a trimester result in an assignment to all day ISD. If disruption to the educational process continues, a parent conference with the teacher(s), counselor, and/or administrator will be arranged. The student may also be suspended from school for one to five days. Teachers have the right to suspend a student from their classroom for a total of two days, including the day of the disruption. Teachers MUST make parental contact and may request that a parent accompany their child to class, and/or arrange for a parent/teacher conference.

IV. Other Disruptive Behavior

The administration and staff at Carmel Middle School are committed to the belief that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect. Students who choose to use inappropriate and/or profane language, or who show a lack of regard or respect for others, will be counseled and helped to understand that to diminish one, diminishes all. The staff at Carmel Middle School is obligated to provide a safe and orderly environment for all students. The behavior policies listed below will be enforced consistently and fairly.

Minor disruptions or defiance: staff may choose to give warning slips for minor disruptions or defiance such as chewing gum, using an electronic device during school, giving putdowns, etc. On the third warning for this type of behavior a referral to the Assistant Principal will occur and a consequence will be given. More serious disruption or defiance may result in an immediate referral.

Fighting: students who engage in fighting will be suspended for one to five days. All parties involved in a fight will be suspended.

Verbal threats and/or intimidation: students who verbally threaten, and/or verbally or physically intimidate another individual could be suspended from school for one to five days and/or be recommended for expulsion.

Profanity and inappropriate language: students who use inappropriate and/or profane language could have the consequences listed below.

Be assigned to after-school detention.
Lose the privilege of participation in student activities, including after-school sports (Restricted Activities).
Be suspended from school for one to five days, and be recommended for expulsion.

Bullying, harassment and/or hazing: students who tease, call other students names, and/or harass other students will be disciplined in a manner consistent with the nature of the infraction, including but not limited to:

1. Assigned to after-school detention or ISD, and parent contact.

2. Lose the privilege of participation in student activities, including after-school

sports (Restricted Activities).

3. Be suspended from school for one to five days. Serious repeat offenses shall be recommended for expulsion.

Wearing offensive clothing: students shall refrain from wearing clothing or jewelry that makes reference to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sex, or violent, oppressive and/or demeaning behavior.

Wearing inappropriate clothing: students shall refrain from wearing garments exposing the torso, cleavage or upper thigh (i.e., halter top, cropped top, athletic or spaghetti-strap, tank top), net or see-through top, short skirt, short dress, short shorts [finger-tip length], bare midriff, etc.). Students shall also refrain from wearing sagging or pajama pants. Pants must be worn at hip level in a manner in which underwear is not exposed or would not be exposed if the shirt were raised. Bare feet, for reasons of health and safety, are also not allowed on campus. With teacher permission, hats may be worn during class. The above standards are also in effect for all extra-curricular events and activities. All offenders will be referred to the Assistant Principal. First time offenders will be required to change or cover up the clothing, receive a written warning, and parents will be notified by phone. Second time offender’s parents will be called and asked to bring appropriate clothing to school. The student will wait in the detention room until the parent arrives. Further offense may result in suspension. Determination of appropriate clothing will be made by school administration.

Public Displays of Affection: students shall refrain from engaging in public displays of affection. Such displays include kissing, hand holding, sitting on students’ laps, or other behaviors that promote romantic relationships on campus.

Failure to serve assigned detention: a student who fails to serve an assigned detention could have that detention time doubled. Failure to serve the doubled detention could result in an all day in-school suspension.

Dangerous toys or objects: possession of lighters, poppers, cap guns, and other dangerous objects/toys could result in a one to five day suspension. Continued possession of such items could result in further suspensions from school, and/or a recommendation for expulsion.

Radios, skateboards, CD players, etc.: students are not allowed to bring radios, CD players, tape players, camera phones, beepers, skateboards, roller blades, laser pointers, and other personal property/toys to school. Students are, however, permitted to bring cellular phones to school, but they must not be turned on or used during regular school hours, defined by the signal of the first to last school bell. The school cannot and will not be responsible for such items should they become lost, stolen or damaged. Any student who chooses to bring such items to school may have the item confiscated if the item is seen or in use during school hours. In addition, students will receive a warning slip. The parent may reclaim the item at the end of the school day. If a student continues to bring and use such items at school, the toy/personal property will be confiscated and will not be returned until either the last day of school or when a parent comes to claim the object.

Academic Honesty: Students who copy work from others, lend inappropriate assistance to others, or submit work that is not their own efforts will be penalized. Students will be disciplined in a manner consistent with the nature of the infraction, including but not limited to:

1. Students will receive a zero for the academic exercise.

2. Parents will be notified by the teacher and a referral shall be written.

3. Repeat offenders will be sent to the Assistant Principal for suspension.

Internet Use: Access to network services is given to students who agree to act in a considerate and responsible manner. Parent permission is required. Network administrators may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and insure that users are using the system responsibly. Violations may result in a loss of access as well as other disciplinary or legal actions, if appropriate and justified.

V. Restricted Activities/Athletic Restrictions

Our Student Activities Program is a positive component of the CMS Code of Conduct and discipline plan. The program rewards students who obey school and classroom rules with the privilege of participating in dances, athletic competition, student government, cheerleading, field trips, and other extra-curricular activities. Students are eligible to compete in athletics or cheerleading if they maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher and do not have any “F”s on the most recent trimester grade report.

Those students who choose to disobey school and classroom rules shall be placed on the Restricted Activities and Athletic Restrictions list. They will be placed on the list by accumulating three referrals in a trimester or being suspended for any length of time.

Restricted Activities:

When a student earns a place on the Restricted Activities list, he/she will lose the privilege of participating in the following activities:

· Dances

· Field trips (extra curricular; e.g., East Coast, Lava Beds, Death Valley, Disneyland)

Field trip monies may be forfeited due to non-refundable policies and ineligibility. Specific trips may require a higher standard than our regular eligibility. For the eighth grade end-of-year trip, there are specific citizenship mark requirements. Students may not earn more than one “N” or “U”, or combination thereof, in the third trimester in order to participate.

· Student government

· Assemblies (extra curricular)

Students will remain on the Restricted Activities list for four weeks from the date of the offense, excluding break weeks.

Students completing their time on the Restricted Activities list will have the privilege of participating in all activities. Students who receive another referral, or attempt to participate in an activity while on restricted activities, will automatically extend their restriction for another four weeks from the date of the infraction and may face additional penalties.

Athletic/Cheerleading Restrictions:

1-2 day suspension = Student shall not participate in athletic/cheerleading games, practices, or tryouts for one week following the last day of the suspension.

3-4-5 day suspension = Student shall not participate in athletic/cheerleading games, practices, or tryouts for two weeks following the last day of the suspension.

Two or more suspendable events (any length) in a trimester = at a minimum, student shall not participate in athletic/cheerleading games, practices, or tryouts for four weeks (excluding breaks) following the last day of the suspension. Student may also be removed from the team at the discretion of the administration.

VI. Grounds for Suspension/Expulsion

By State law the following offenses by a student are grounds for suspension or expulsion, whether they occur while on school grounds, while going to or coming from school, during the lunch period (on or off the campus), during a school sponsored activity, or while going to or coming from a school sponsored activity:

a. (1) Caused, attempted to cause, or threatened to cause physical injury to another person.
(2) Willfully used force or violence upon the person of another, except in self-defense.

b. Possessed, sold, or otherwise furnished any firearm, knife, explosive, or other dangerous object.

c. Unlawfully possessed, used, sold, or otherwise furnished, or been under the influence of, a controlled substance, an alcoholic beverage, or an intoxicant of any kind.

d. Unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell a controlled substance, an alcoholic beverage, or an intoxicant of any kind, and then either sold, delivered, or otherwise furnished to any person another liquid, substance, or material and represented the liquid, substance, or material as a controlled substance, alcoholic beverage, or intoxicant.

e. Committed or attempted to commit robbery or extortion.

f. Caused or attempted to cause damage to school property or private property.

g. Stolen or attempted to steal school property or private property.

h. Possessed or used tobacco, or any products containing tobacco or nicotine products.

i. Committed an obscene act or engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity.

j. Unlawfully possessed or unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell any drug paraphernalia.

k. Disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties.

l. Knowingly received stolen school property or private property.

m. Possessed an imitation firearm.

n. Committed or attempted to commit a sexual assault.

o. Harassed, threatened, or intimidated a pupil who is a complaining witness or witness in a school disciplinary proceeding for the purpose of either preventing that pupil from being a witness or retaliating against that pupil for being a witness, or both.

p. Aided or abetted the infliction or attempted infliction of physical injury to another person.

q. Committed sexual harassment.

r. Caused, attempted to cause, threatened to cause, or participated in an act of, hate violence.

s. Intentionally engaged in harassment, threats, or intimidation, directed against a pupil or group of pupils.

t. Made terroristic threats against school officials or school property, or both.

jh Rev.6/6/06