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Student Handbook 2024-2025
Relationships-Rigor-Relevance
Please visit our website throughout the year for information!
The OESJ School District seeks to provide the best possible education for every student. We strive to maintain an excellent learning environment to ensure every student graduates from high school prepared for college and career success.
The mission of the OESJ Central School District is for every student to experience an enriching environment where they will master the skills necessary for 21st full potential for applying knowledge. All OESJ students will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful and authentic learning through teachers’ use of research based, innovative instructional practices. We will educate our students to become lifelong learners, cooperative century learning and reach their workers, quality producers and outstanding citizens.
Students need to be college and career ready. OESJ students will need to develop the “soft skills” necessary for success. Business owners stated at a meeting this past fall: “High schools must teach students that a deadline is a deadline”. Whether at college or work, students need to demonstrate self-discipline and perseverance. To help our students be better prepared, we have started our 1:1 Chromebook program. Collaboration between students, teachers and home are crucial for this program to be successful.
Students need to be prepared for 21st Century Skills. These are required for students to succeed in the workforce and college. These include:
OESJ 1:1 Chromebook Handbook Policy - This can be reviewed at any time by parents and students.
Building Principal: Mr. Timothy Barnes 568-2011
Guidance Counselors: Mrs. Van Wie 568-2011 x 3113
Mrs. Stalteri: 568-2011 x 3119
Building & Grounds: Mr. Swartz 568-2011 x 3180
Transportation: Mrs. Brundage 568-2014 x 2105
Whom do I contact about…?
Parents can also obtain school information by visiting the OESJ Central School website
We want students to become independent thinkers and problem solvers: consequently, we encourage students and parents to first try and resolve problems with the individual(s) in question. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, then please seek help at the next appropriate level. Please use the chain of command listed below as a reference. Individuals may be referred to the proper level if the chain is not followed.
It is the policy of the OESJ Central School District to prohibit discrimination or harassment based on race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, economic status, marital status, sexual orientation or disability in the district’s educational programs, activities or employment.
Harassment may take the form of comments, name-calling, jokes, stalking, perpetuating rumors or gossip, offensive gestures or language, assault or any other behavior that is intended to annoy, intimidate or cause fear. If anyone discriminates against you or harasses you, you must report it to a teacher or see Ms Dunn.
Announcements to students and staff will be made daily at 7:47 am and, if necessary, in the afternoon. Some announcements may occur only in the cafeteria during lunch periods in order to reduce the interruption of instructional time. Students will be called out of class only for unusual circumstances. Announcements must be submitted in writing and approved by the main office staff.
It is each student’s basic responsibility as a member of the school community to be on time and attend all classes. Daily telephone calls will be made by the office to parents or guardians to report unexcused absences.
The following reasons for student absences and tardiness from schools are recognized as excused:
Any other absence shall be considered unexcused, unless a legitimate reason is provided otherwise.
The district will support and encourage a student’s efforts to maintain or improve school attendance and tardiness. Students with unexcused absences or tardiness will be disciplined according to the provisions set forth in the district’s code of conduct. Additional action taken by the District includes, but not limited to, home visits, mandated calls to child protective services, and written PINS petitions to county probation departments. In serious cases, a call to District Attorney’s office for educational neglect may be necessary.
The district’s formal reporting system includes report cards and/or forms developed by the professional staff and issued periodically. Scheduled conferences between parents and teachers, and interim reports may be issued as needed or required. Parents are encouraged to visit the school and to meet with the guidance counselor and teachers whenever necessary. Please schedule all such visits in advance.
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In order to ensure students’ safety, the Building Principal and school nurse shall maintain a list of individuals who are authorized to pick up students in attendance at the school. No student may be released to any individual who is not the parent or guardian of the student, unless the individual’s name appears upon the list.
Parents or guardians may submit a list of individuals authorized to obtain the release of their children from school at the time of the child’s enrollment.
A parent or guardian may amend a list submitted pursuant to this regulation at any time, in writing, with a signature of the parent or guardian. Certified copies of any court orders or divorce decrees provided by the custodial parent, which restrict a parent’s ability to authorize the release of his or her child, shall be maintained in district offices.
If an individual desires to pick a child up from school, he/she must report to the school office and, upon request, present satisfactory identification to the Building Principal. If the person seeking release of a child presents an out-of-state custody order, the Superintendent shall be called.
In the event the parent desires to excuse the child early for emergency reasons, the parent shall make such a request in writing and submit the request to the main office. Medical releases are handled by, and should be directed to, the Nurse’s Office. All other reasons for release must be submitted to the Main Office, and students must be picked up in the Main Office. The student must sign the register in the main office before leaving.
Course scheduling is designed to accommodate different teaching styles and subject materials. All scheduling shall conform to state requirements, enhance student learning opportunities and improve individual academic achievement.
Course outlines may be found in the guidance office; they are also provided to students during registration. Students generally decide upon their yearly schedule with the help of their guidance counselor. The following consists of a typical daily schedule for a district student:
Period
Once student schedules are completed, students may change their schedule, subject to the approval of the parent, teacher, guidance counselor, and administrator, but only for one of the reasons listed below. Students must obtain an add/drop form from the guidance office and have it completed before any changes will be made.
Schedule changes will be allowed on a limited basis on 9-12-22 through 9-19-22 except for emergencies.
If a student drops a class after the add/drop deadline, he or she may be subject to a W/P or W/F (Withdraw/pass or fail).
The library is open during regular school hours. The library is used for research, borrowing books, using the computers, or reading quietly. Students may come to the library during their study hall and lunch by signing up and obtaining a pass.
Materials in the library circulate for a specific period of time, generally two weeks. All students wishing to borrow materials must check them out at the library desk.
Students are expected to be responsible and courteous of the needs of others and return library materials on time. Lost or damaged materials must be replaced at the expense of the borrower.
During the course of the school year, teachers supplement classroom work by utilizing a variety of multimedia tools. As such, your child may have the opportunity to view one or more videos as part of his or her classroom participation, including:
Any videos shown outside the above guidelines will require written notification to parents specifying the video’s content and suitability.
Students will be granted an account number to access the school district’s computer network. Each student’s account number is intended for personal use only and cannot be shared with other individuals. Users of the district’s computer equipment shall have no expectation of privacy. The district reserves the right to access all files and monitor all uses of the district’s computer technology equipment at its own discretion in order to ensure the equipment is used appropriately.
The district prohibits the use of any computer hardware/software in any inappropriate, fraudulent or destructive manner, including, but not limited to:
The last disciplinary action depending on circumstances will be loss of computer privileges.
An acceptable use agreement outlining appropriate student use of District computers will be sent home. It describes the student’s access to the network and expectations for acceptable use. Parents are expected to review this agreement with their child. The parent and students shall sign the agreement, acknowledging they will abide by district policy and regulation in the use of district computers. These agreements are kept on file in the Building Principal’s office.
While the district uses technological and manual means to regulate access and information on the school computer network, these methods do not provide a foolproof means of enforcing the provisions of the district’s policy and regulations. Parents are encouraged to review acceptable uses with their children and reinforce appropriate use of district computers.
The district makes no warranties of any kind, either express or implied, for the access being provided. Further, the district assumes no responsibility for the quality, availability, accuracy, nature or reliability of the service and/or information provided. Use of the district’s computer network and the Internet is performed at the user’s own risk. Each user is responsible for verifying the integrity and authenticity of the information that is used and provided.
The district will not be responsible for any damages suffered by any user, including but not limited to, loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, miss-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or errors or omissions of any user. The district will also not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from the use or access to the district’s computer network or the Internet.
The OESJ Jr/Sr High School is committed to safeguarding children’s access to the Internet and World Wide Web on district computers. Although the district cannot totally guarantee the effectiveness of selected filtering and blocking technology, the district will use such measures that block or filter Internet access to visual depictions that are obscene or otherwise harmful to minors, as defined in the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
The Board of the Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Central School District recognizes that student attendance in school is an important component of student success. Student interaction with teachers and other students in class helps to enhance the academic learning experience and provides a basis by which students can demonstrate mastery of subject matter.
In this regard and in accordance with Section 104.1 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of education, the Board adopts this comprehensive attendance policy, containing the following components:
All staff will be provided with a copy of the comprehensive attendance policy and any amendment to such policy within ten days following initial adoption or amendment of the policy. New staff members shall receive a copy of the comprehensive attendance policy upon commencement of employment with the District.
The Board shall promote community awareness of the District comprehensive attendance policy by providing a plain language summary of the policy to the parents or guardians of students at the beginning of each school year and taking such other steps deemed necessary to promote the understanding of such policy by students and their parents or guardians. Copies of the complete comprehensive attendance policy shall be available in the District Central Office and in each school building and will be provided to any member of the community upon request.
The major objectives of the comprehensive attendance policy in the Oppenheim Ephratah-St. Johnsville Central School District are to:
The Board charges the Superintendent or designee to develop a system of pupil attendance recordkeeping in each school in a register of attendance that shall provide an accurate record of each pupil’s presence, absence, tardiness, and early departure. The register of attendance shall set forth the following for each pupil: name; date of birth; full names of parents or guardians; address where pupil resides; phone numbers where the parents or guardians may be contacted; date of the pupil’s enrollment; and a record of the pupil’s attendance on each day of scheduled instruction.
All entries in the register of attendance shall be made by the teacher of the class in which the pupil is enrolled. The entries in the register of attendance shall be verified by the oath or affirmation of the individual making the entries in the register of attendance. The principal of each school shall have the responsibility of supervising the keeping of the register of attendance. The principal shall also be charged with reviewing pupil attendance records periodically for the purpose of initiating appropriate action in accordance with this policy to address unexcused pupil absence, tardiness, and early departure.
Attendance in each school building shall be recorded as follows:
The following reasons for pupil absences, tardiness, and early departure shall be considered by the Board to be excused when provided written documentation:
Any other pupil absence, tardiness or early departure is considered by the Board to be unexcused. Each absence, tardiness and early departure shall be accounted for by the teacher in the register of attendance and shall be entered as excused or unexcused.
It is the responsibility of the parents or guardians of the pupil to notify the office by telephone on the morning of the absence or tardiness or at the time of early departure as to the reason for such absence, tardiness or early departure. As a follow-up to any oral notification, parents or guardians of the pupil shall provide a written excuse upon return to school containing the date of the absence, tardiness, or early departure and reason for such within five (5) days.
The Board shall charge the Superintendent or designee to design a coding system that will be used by the District in recording pupil absences, tardiness or early departure in their registers or attendance.
For any absence, tardiness or early departure that is excused, the coding system shall identify the reason for such absence, tardiness or early departure. An absence, tardiness or early departure shall be assumed to be unexcused until written confirmation is received that such absence, tardiness or early departure is in fact excused with appropriate reason.
Along with coding for whether an absence, tardiness or early departure is excused or unexcused and, if excused, the reason for such, the teacher shall record the time of entry of a student due to tardiness and the time of exit of a student due to early departure.
The following codes shall be consistently used by the District:
The Board recognizes that regular attendance in classes is essential to the total learning process. Although some class absence may be unavoidable, each student is expected to make every effort to attend each assigned class. The underlying rationale for an attendance policy that denies course credit for non-attendance is based on recognition of the vital role classroom attendance and participation plays in academic achievement.
In order for a student in the high school or middle school to receive credit for a course, it is important that the student attend regular class meetings. For a full-year course, twenty-four (24) absences may result in a loss of credit. For a half-year course, twelve (12) absences may result in a loss of credit. Where a student earns a passing grade, credit will not be denied for the course(s).
Any pupil absence that is both properly excused and for which the student has performed any assigned make-up work shall not be counted as an absence for the purpose of determining the student’s eligibility for course credit under this policy. It shall be the student’s responsibility to obtain all make-up work from his or her teacher(s) immediately upon the student’s return to school, and all make-up work shall be submitted within three days after the excused absence to be reviewed by the teacher.
In-school suspension, for which the student is doing work related to his or her particular classes, and out-of-school suspension, where the student takes advantage of alternate educational services provided by the District, shall not count as absences from class under this section of the policy.
Where it is determined by the school that disciplinary sanctions are necessary to discourage a specific instance of an unexcused pupil absence, tardiness or early departure or a pattern of unexcused absences, tardiness or early departures by a pupil, the following sanctions shall be available for use by the school.
Detention, ISS, Loss of Pass Privilege, Suspension from Athletic Participation, Loss of Extracurriculars, P.I.N.S., Probation: clubs, Honor Society, etc.; Loss of: clubs, etc. Loss of transportation privileges; transportation is the responsibility of parents or guardians.
The Board shall charge the Superintendent or designee with the task of monitoring the effectiveness of the disciplinary sanctions in each of the schools.
As noted in this policy, any pupil absence, tardiness or early departure other than those specified in the policy is considered by the Board to be unexcused. It is the responsibility of the parents or guardians of the pupil to excuse such absence, tardiness or early departure by notifying the office by telephone on the morning of the absence or tardiness or at the time of early departure as to the reason for such absence, tardiness or early departure.
As a follow-up to any oral notification, parents or guardians shall provide a written excuse upon return to school, which shall include the following: date of the absence, tardiness, or early departure and reason for such.
The Board understands that in order to increase overall District attendance and pupil attendance in each school building, it is important to develop a process by which teachers and other school employees can readily identify patterns of unexcused pupil absence, tardiness or early departure and can employ specific intervention strategies in an attempt to change such patterns.
Each school building shall establish a committee which shall be charged with monitoring overall pupil attendance and determining and addressing specific patterns of unexcused pupil absence, tardiness or early departure. The committee shall be comprised of the building principal, nurse, social worker, and other support staff as determined by the principal.
The committee shall meet on a regular basis to identify specific pupils with patterns of unexcused absences, tardiness or early departure and the intervention strategies to be employed by teachers and other school staff to address these patterns. Minutes of each meeting of the committee shall be kept for documentation and shall be made available upon request of the Superintendent. The building principal will be given minutes to report on quarterly attendance.
A designated staff member will review the District’s Attendance Policy with students (and parents) who have excessive and/or unexcused absences, tardiness or early departures. Further, appropriate student support services/personnel within the District, as well as the possible collaboration/referral to community support services and agencies, will be implemented prior to the denial of course credit for insufficient attendance by the student.
Students who incur an illness or injury that causes them to be absent in excess of five school days are requested to apply for home tutoring. In the event home tutoring is requested, a physician’s statement is required describing the medical condition and verifying that the student will be absent in excess of five school days. When home tutoring begins, no further days will be recorded as absences.
The principal of each school building shall be charged by the Board to be the person responsible for reviewing pupil attendance records and initiating appropriate actions at the building level to address unexcused pupil absence, tardiness and early departure consistent with the comprehensive attendance policy of the District.
The Board shall annually review overall District pupil attendance and the pupil attendance records for each school building. Should such records demonstrate a decline in pupil attendance, the Board shall have the opportunity to amend the comprehensive attendance policy and make revisions to the plan as deemed necessary. Any such amendment to the comprehensive attendance policy shall be provided in writing to each staff member no later than ten days after adoption of the amendment by the Board.
“The Dignity Act was signed into law on September 13, 2010 and took effect on July 1, 2012. This legislation amended State Education Law by creating a new Article 2 – Dignity for All Students. The Dignity Act also amended Section 801-a of New York State Education Law regarding instruction in civility, citizenship, and character education by expanding the concepts of tolerance, respect for others and dignity to include: an awareness and sensitivity in the relations of people, including but not limited to, different races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, gender identity, and sexes. The Dignity Act further amended Section 2801 of the Education Law by requiring Boards of Education to include language addressing The Dignity Act in their codes of conduct.”
The district cannot investigate bullying and correct a problem if it is not reported, so we encourage staff, students, and parents to speak up when they witness bullying. Anyone who feels he or she has been bullied, wants to report a bullying incident, or has questions about bullying should contact the building principal at the school in question.
The Oppenheim Ephratah St. Johnsville School Board is committed to protecting its students from bullying, harassment, or discrimination for any reason. The school board believes that all students are entitled to a safe, equitable, and harassment free school environment.
The standards of this policy constitute a specific, focused, coordinated, integrated, culturally sensitive system of support for all students, families, and community agencies that will improve relations within our school. It is designed to ensure that every school has staff that have been trained and are supported in our school’s efforts to provide awareness, and intervention training as well as instructional strategies on prevention and direct follow up when incidents are reported and/or occur.
A. “Bullying” means systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees. It is further defined as: unwanted purposeful written, verbal, nonverbal, or physical behavior, including but not limited to any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, by an adult or student, that has the potential to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment or cause long term damage; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual’s school performance or participation, is carried out repeatedly and is often characterized by an imbalance of power.
Bullying may involve, but is not limited to:
Schools cannot effectively address bullying if incidents are not reported, which is why the district encourages staff, students and parents to speak up when they witness bullying.
Anyone who feels that he or she has been bullied, who wants to report an incident of someone else being bullied or who has questions about bullying can contact the district’s Dignity Act coordinators.
Students with disabilities are entitled to receive, at public expense, special education, related services and/or supplementary aids and services as necessary to ensure a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, appropriate to meet their individual needs.
Each student identified as having a disability will have access to the full range of programs and services of this school district, including extracurricular programs and activities, which are available to all other students enrolled in the public schools of the district.
The district shall provide academic intervention services to students who have been identified as being at risk of falling below the state learning standards in English language arts, mathematics, social studies, and/or science. Such services may include additional instruction services and/or student support services such as guidance, counseling, and study skills.
A student’s eligibility for academic intervention services will be determined based on his or her performance on state assessment examinations and/or in accordance with district assessment procedures.
When it has been determined that a student needs academic intervention services, the Guidance Department will notify the parents, in writing. The notice will outline the reason the student needs such services, the type of services to be provided and the consequences of not achieving the performance standards. In addition, the district will provide the parents with opportunities to consult with teachers and other professional staff, regular reports on the student’s progress and information on ways to monitor and work with teachers to improve the student’s performance. Parents can contact the school regarding our test out policy from academic intervention services.
A student who is temporarily unable to attend school for at least two weeks due to physical, mental or emotional illness or injury may be eligible to be instructed at home or in the hospital by an appropriately certified teacher.
The parent must notify the principal or guidance counselor if a student will be on an extended school absence. If the inability to attend is due to a medical or emotional reason, the parent should obtain from the child’s physician documentation indicating a need for homebound instruction.
Where advanced notice is not possible, the parent should make every effort to obtain homework assignments until such a time as home/hospital instruction may begin.
As soon as possible after receiving notice of a prolonged absence, the district will arrange for home instruction for the time periods prescribed by law. A parent or another adult is expected to be present during all teaching sessions. Tutoring may be delivered at home or an alternative site, depending upon the availability of an adult.
A high school student who fails a course may be eligible to attend summer school to earn credit or retake a Regents exam. A student can take up to two academic courses during the six-week summer school program. The Superintendent will have final approval of student eligibility for summer school.
High school credit will be awarded to students who enroll in and complete approved courses offered by accredited colleges and universities, as follows:
Grades 7-12 uses a numerical system to determine performance level. The grading system is used to indicate achievement and development in each class or subject area in which a student is enrolled. Quarter grades should reflect a student’s ability to perform on NYS regents exams or final exams if no regents exam is available. No grades over 100 will be accepted.
Classroom teachers will evaluate students and assign grades according to the established system. All students are expected to complete the assigned class work and homework as directed. Students are also expected to participate meaningfully in class discussions and activities in order to receive course credit.
Grading will not be used for disciplinary purposes, i.e., giving lower grades for bad behavior, unless the student’s misconduct is directly related to his or her academic performance (plagiarism, for example).
Homework provides excellent opportunities for developing good study habits, providing for individual differences and abilities, and encouraging self-initiative on the part of the student. The High School homework plan has immediate consequences for students who fail to submit or complete homework. In the event a student is absent, the student should consult the District’s website, to obtain homework information.
Parents and the school share the responsibility for student learning. Parents can assist their children with homework by:
The OESJ School District believes that parental involvement in student’s homework is essential to making homework an integral part of the educational program. Parents should encourage and monitor homework assignments.
At the discretion of the teacher, students may be assigned homework each night. If a student feels that, he/she has an excessive amount of or too little homework per week, the student or the parent may suggest a conference with the teacher
The amount of homework will vary with each course and grade level and should be age appropriate. When appropriate, homework assignments will be graded and counted towards each student’s quarterly grade.
If a student knows that he or she will be absent for several days, it is possible for homework assignments to be sent home. Arrangements for assignments can be made through the guidance office (568-7824) at least one day in advance.
Class rank will be calculated at the conclusion of the third quarter of the senior year.
At the middle school level, students who pass all subjects will be promoted. Students who do not make satisfactory progress in one or more core subjects — English language arts, mathematics, social studies and science — shall have their cases considered on an individual basis and may be retained.
Determinations on retention are made after consultation with the teacher, Building Principal, and guidance counselor. Factors to be considered include teacher recommendation; classroom achievement and attitude; standardized test scores; social, emotional and physical development; family conference; and, for identified students, recommendations by the committee on special education (CSE).
At the high school level, promotion from one grade to the next shall be contingent upon passing all required subjects and the correct accumulation of graduation credits at each grade. Students, and parents, are encouraged to meet with the guidance counselor to discuss the appropriate credits needed for each grade level. Students need 5 credit to become 10th graders, 10 credits to become 11th graders and 15 credits to become 12th graders.
Diplomas will be granted on the successful completion of the requirements of the Board of Regents, the Commissioner of Education, and the OESJ Central School Board of Education. Students are encouraged to meet with the guidance counselor to discuss graduation requirements as well as their current standing on an annual basis.
The guidance program is available for all students in grades 7-12 to ensure effective participation in their current and future educational programs.
In grades 7-12, the guidance program provides the following services:
Students under 18 who are interested in working papers may pick up applications in the Main Office. The Guidance Office can sometimes offer assistance in finding summer employment, since guidance counselors often keep in touch with community employers.
Despite the attraction of having a part-time job after school hours, students should give careful consideration to the amount of time and energy an after-school job can demand. Students should remember that school responsibilities always take precedence over such jobs.
The OESJ Central School District offers a variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities for students. Participation in such activities provides students with experience in building social relationships, developing interests in an academic area, and gaining an understanding of the responsibilities of good citizenship.
In order to remain eligible for participation in the above named activities, students must maintain passing grades in classes. If, at the time of preparation of interim and quarterly reports, the student’s average is failing, or incomplete, in two or more classes, he/she will be placed on the academic eligibility list for the five weeks between reports. To remain eligible to participate in non-credit bearing extra-curricular activities, students that are failing must submit a weekly teacher signature sheet indicating passing work.
Certain activities require a minimum level of participation/ training, as established by the activity advisor/coach. The student agrees to these conditions (provided by activity advisor/coach) and realizes that failure to maintain this minimum level of participation may result in suspension from the activity.
A student will be ineligible to participate in an extracurricular and/or interscholastic activity when one of the following occurs:
No student can participate in any co-curricular activity or interscholastic activity on a day when he or she is absent from school.
Parents can contact the Building Principal or Athletic Director with any questions they may have in regards to extracurricular and/or interscholastic activities.
The following list presents current student organizations. If a student is interested in joining any of the activities sponsored by these organizations, he/she should ask the advisor for further information.
It is recognized that fundraising is the major source of revenue for student organizations. At least two weeks prior to the intended fundraising activity, each group must receive permission from the building principal, authorizing the group to engage in such activities. Without prior permission, no group should order any items or commit to or contract with any outside companies or agencies. Individual candy sales are not allowed in the Jr. /Sr. High School during the school day. A school day includes all morning time before the official start of the day, and includes 30 minutes after the end of the official school day. No sale of food will be allowed in the building on school days prior to lunch services.
OESJ Central School believes field trips are an important part of the educational program. By providing students with hands-on experience and exposure to the larger community, field trips can greatly enhance a student’s educational experiences.
A signed permission slip from the parent or guardian is required for each child for each field trip. A child who does not provide a signed permission slip will be prohibited from participating and will be given an alternative assignment on the day of the field trip.
The classroom teacher will provide parents with specific instructions for lunch, appropriate dress, and arrival and departure times. In the event of inclement weather on the day of a field trip, parents should contact the main office to inquire about the status of the trip.
All students are expected to exhibit proper behavior on field trips. While field trips take place outside of school, school rules still apply. Students are expected to abide by the school’s student code of conduct while on a field trip. In addition, students who are unable to maintain appropriate behavior in the classroom may jeopardize their opportunity to go on a field trip. Parents will be notified prior to the trip if there are concerns about their child’s behavior.
In light of current events, the overall safety of the proposed trip location and of travel conditions will be a key factor in granting approval for field trips. Should conditions change during the time between the approval of a trip and the actual date of departure, it may become necessary to cancel the trip and deposited monies may be forfeited depending on the individual situation.
Spectator Sportsmanship for Sporting Events
The OESJ School District expects the same behavior of all spectators at school-sponsored sports events that it expects of its staff and students during the regular school day. Spectators at sports events who do not abide by the following guidelines will, in the first instance, be reminded of their obligation, and in the second instance, be asked to leave the event and/or refrain from attending future events for a specific period of time.
All spectators at OESJ School District’s interscholastic events will be expected to:
Student assemblies are a part of the overall educational process. School assemblies, at all instructional levels, are often held to provide recognition of student accomplishments by peers, parents and staff members. Assemblies will be appropriate to the educational experience, as defined by OESJ Central School Board of Education, and reflect our school’s educational mission.
Students are reminded of proper conduct at assemblies to ensure responsible audience participation:
The OESJ Central School nurses monitor the health of all students in the school and are the liaison between the school and various health agencies. All students are required to have an updated emergency card on file in the Health Office. This card should be filled out completely and signed by the parent or guardian. The Health Office should be advised of any changes in address, phone numbers, and emergency contact person(s).
The school nurse will provide emergency care for students involved in accidents or unexpected medical situations. Students who leave school for medical emergencies without the authorization of a school nurse will receive in-school suspension upon their return to school.
If a student needs to take medication during the school day, he or she must follow these rules:
The school nurse reserves the right to request additional information, such as self-administration order, diagnosis and/or potential adverse reactions; however, medication delivery should not be delayed pending additional information, unless such information is essential to the safe administration of the medication. If the prescription is for over the counter medications, the medication must be in the original manufacturer’s container/package with the student’s name affixed to the container.
n accordance with the state Education Law, each student shall have a physical exam given by the school doctor or family physician upon entrance to school in grades 1, 3, 7 and 10. Physical forms are available from the school nurse for the family physician to fill out. If a form is not returned to the school nurse by Oct. 1 of the school year, the school physician will complete a student’s physical. Students wishing to participate in an interscholastic athletic program may also need to have a physical examination.
Students must receive proper immunizations for diphtheria, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, Haemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib) and Varicella prior to entering or being admitted to school. Parents will be notified of the required immunizations needed for entry, certificates of proof, and available resources for obtaining appropriate certificates.
The OESJ Central School District maintains on site, in each instructional school facility, at least one functional automated external defibrillator (AED) for use during emergencies. Whenever public school facilities are used for school-sponsored or school-approved curricular or extracurricular events or activities or a school-sponsored athletic contest is held at any location, school administrators shall ensure the presence of at least one staff person who is trained in the operation and use of an AED. Where a school-sponsored competitive athletic event is held at a site other than a public school facility, the public school officials must ensure that AED equipment is provided on-site.
In emergencies, the school nurse will follow established first aid procedures. These procedures include the following requirements:
The OESJ School District has adopted a district-wide school safety plan and building-level emergency response plans for each building in the district. These plans are intended to define how the district and each school building will respond to acts of violence and other disasters.
They provide a framework for identifying and implementing appropriate strategies for creating and maintaining a safe, secure learning environment for all students.
The Building Principal is responsible for conducting fire drills in order to instruct students and staff in exiting the school building in an emergency in the shortest time possible and without confusion and panic.
All students are expected to cooperate with staff members during fire drills, and to leave the buildings in a quiet and orderly manner. The exit route for students shall be conspicuously posted in each room. Students must stay with their teacher. Distracting behavior will be subject to either teacher or administrative discipline, and may warrant disciplinary action.
All students at the OESJ High School receive free breakfast and lunch.
Students will receive a monthly menu indicating the “hot lunch” of the day. Sandwiches are also offered daily. Milk accompanies each meal along with snacks. The District reserves the right to adjust the price of cafeteria food or drink at any time.
Transportation is provided to certain school students. Questions about the school transportation program should be directed to the Transportation Coordinator at 568-2014 x105.
The Superintendent of Schools may close the schools or dismiss students/staff early in the event of severe weather or hazardous road conditions. Every attempt will be made so younger students will not be left without proper parental supervision.
Parents are requested to avoid calling schools on days of poor weather; it is important to keep school phone lines open. School closings and delayed starting times will be announced over local radio stations. The following television/radio stations will carry information regarding emergency closings:
If no report is heard, it can be assumed the schools are opening on time.
When the school provides transportation to students for a school-sponsored activity or event, it will also provide return transportation unless the parent or legal guardian of a participating student has given the district written notice authorizing an alternative form of return transportation for their student. If intervening circumstances make return transportation impractical, a chaperone or other representative of the school will remain with the student until the student’s parent or guardian has been contacted and informed of the intervening circumstances, and the student has been delivered to his/her parent or guardian.
Video cameras may be used to monitor student behavior on school vehicles transporting students to and from school or extracurricular activities. Students found violating bus conduct rules would be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the district’s code of conduct.
Parents with disabilities will be afforded an equal opportunity to participate in the services, programs and activities of the district, particularly those that are designed for parental involvement and are directly related to their child’s academic and/or disciplinary progress (e.g., parent/teacher conferences, and/or meetings with other school personnel).
Requests for accommodations should be directed to the Superintendent at least 10 business days prior to the scheduled activity or program. Such requests should include a description of the parent’s needs and the specific accommodation they are requesting.
The OESJ Central School District believes that children succeed when there is a strong partnership between home and school. This partnership thrives on open communication between parents and the school, parental involvement in their child’s education, and parental responsibility for all aspects of their child’s education.
Parents can become partners in their child’s education by:
Often, parents, students and other community members may want to have specific information about the schools in this district. Interested persons may inspect and/or copy school district records pursuant to Federal and State Laws and school policy. Student Records are only accessible by parents and/or legal guardians.
Requests to inspect or make copies of records must be submitted in writing, either in person or by mail, to the Records Access Officer, who will provide information regarding fees and the number of copies available.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) give parents and students over 18 years of age (referred to in the law as “eligible students”) the following rights:
Parent-teacher conferences are an important element in parent-teacher communication and reporting student progress to parents. Parents will be notified in advance of the available dates and times so a convenient appointment can be arranged.
An Open House will be scheduled during the year. This is a time for parents to be a part of a specific project, mini-program or activity involving their child. Open House is not a time to discuss individual student issues.
Parents are encouraged to visit the school periodically during the course of the school year. Unless they have a specific reason and prior approval from the Building Principal, student visitors from other schools are not permitted to enter school buildings.
All visitors to the school must report to the main office, sign the visitor’s register and obtain a visitor’s pass which must be displayed at all times. The visitor’s pass must be returned to the main office and the visitor must sign out at the conclusion of the visit.
Students are not permitted to bring guests (friends, relatives, etc.) to school for any part of the day including before, after school, and during the lunch period.
The OESJ Central School District expects a high standard of conduct from its students, faculty and support staff, as well as visitors to the schools. The school will enforce a code of conduct which governs the conduct of all persons, whether or not their presence is authorized, upon any premises or property under the control of the district and used in its teaching, administrative, cultural, recreational, athletic, and other programs and activities. All persons on school property or attending a school function shall conduct themselves in a respectful and orderly manner. In addition, all persons on school property or attending a school function are expected to be properly attired for the purpose they are on school property.
No person, either alone or with others, shall:
All parents are expected to:
All bus drivers are expected to:
All teachers are expected to:
Students in grades 7 through 12 are eligible to earn a place on the High Honor Roll and the Honor Roll based upon grades received during the quarter. The High Honor Roll award will be given to students with an average of 90 or better. The Honor Roll award will be given to students with an average between 85 and 89.