The First Day of School

1. The First Day of School How to survive and thrive in Richland Middle School Sunday, August 22, 2010

2. Welcome to 1st Period

3. PASSING PERIODS • 4 minutes long. This is not a time to visit with your friends. It is time to get what is needed for class, to make a stop in the restroom if you have time. Don’t congregate; don’t stop to give hugs. • The only reason any 7th or 8th grader should be in the 6th grade hall is to go to a class that they have in that hall.

4. TIME MANAGEMENT: • Must plan what you need to do between each class. • Maybe you can get the books and things that you need for two or three classes without having to go to your locker each time. • Plan your trips to the restroom, if you can. (Go while you are waiting to leave the cafeteria in the morning, go while you are in PE, go during lunch time, etc. without having to miss too much of any class.)

5. Welcome to 2nd Period

6. PLEDGES AND MINUTE OF SILENCE • every day during 2nd period we will pause for the Pledge to the American and Texas flags • All are expected to stand and remain quiet during this time • Minute of Silence is a minute long as mandated by law • Everyone in the building will remain quiet during this time

7. ANNOUNCEMENTS • Announcements will be given during lunch periods

8. ATTENDANCE • Your success in school is tied to your attendance. Good attendance • This means that you will be in school to get the instruction you will need to be successful in your classes. • If you are sick and must stay at home, ask a parent to contact Mrs. Rueda, the attendance clerk, to inform of your absence. I • f they fail to call, you must bring a note from home or a doctor’s note.

9. ABSENCES • The state requires that you attend school. You are not allowed very many days throughout a year to be absent. • In fact, your parents can be fined if you miss too many days. Good attendance helps you… • More successful in the classes when you don’t miss • We have some cool things planned throughout the year and you don’t want to miss it • You will be required to make up time when you are absent too much • It is your responsibility to find out what you miss when you are absent – check teachers’ websites, check with your friends while you are absent, check with your teacher • You must get your missed work in as soon as you return (if out one day, your work is due the second day after you return)

10. TARDIES • If tardy to 1st period, check in at the office for a pass to class. • If you have difficulty in getting to school on time, discuss this problem with a teacher or an administrator. • We expect all students to be on time to every class • Passing period is for picking up things from your lockers, making a quick stop at the restroom, and getting in the room on time • Passing period is not for socializing with your friends (there are other times for this). Don’t stop for hugs or hanging out with your friends. • If you must go to the restroom during passing period, go to the teacher and ask for a pass so that you will not be late. • If you are not able to get to class on time, you will receive a tardy for that class. :

11. TARDIES • Tardies accumulate throughout the day or weeks. Detentions will be as follows • 1st tardy = warning • 2ndtardy = warning • 3rdtardy = warning • 4thtardy = lunch d-hall (1 day) • 5thtardy = lunch d-hall (2 days) • 6thtardy = 5:00 d-hall • 7thtardy = Friday school • 8thtardy = Friday school • 9thtardy = ISS

12. DETENTIONS: • Teachers will have d-halls in their classes – these could be any length determined by the teacher • Office d-halls are assigned by a school administrator and held in a teacher’s classroom and until 5:00 on Mondays through Thursdays and until 6:00 on Fridays for Friday School. • You will be given at least a 24-hour notice for your d-halls so that you can make arrangements with your parents or your ride to be picked up at those times. If you ride the bus, this will not keep you from receiving and being expected to serve your detention. • If that makes it difficult for you and your family, the solution is: don’t get in trouble.

13. RESTROOM PASSES • One person out at time • All students out of a classroom will have a pass • Plastic restroom pass will be used from each classroom • You may be returned to class if you are out of class without a pass.

14. LEAVING THE ROOM • Remember you must have a pass anytime you leave the classroom • If you need to go to the nurse, you must go to your class first and ask for a clinic pass. You cannot go to the nurse during passing period. She will send you back to class. • You cannot leave the campus if you feel bad without going through the nurse, and she must have contacted your parents. • Leaving campus without permission is considered skipping class and you will receive severe consequences. • When you must leave the room, you do it quietly without interrupting the class

15. ENTERING THE ROOM • During passing period, you have time to go to your lockers, etc. • Once you enter a teacher’s room, you should sit down and you should not leave the class. • Plan your time between classes so that you have plenty of time to be in the class before the tardy bell rings. • If you leave the class during the period, return without interrupting or disrupting class.

16. HALLWAY ETIQUETTE • When moving through the hallway, traffic flow is better if you follow the same rules as on the road. Keep to the right of the hallway. • Show respect while in the hallways to teachers and fellow classmates. • Any teacher may discipline you if there are problems in the halls. • Do not congregate to talk or exchange hugs. Save those for before or after school. • PDA (public display of affection) is not permitted in our school and repeated incidents of PDA could result in consequences. • If you observe bullying in the halls, please let an adult know what you have witnessed.

17. Welcome to 3rd Period

18. BINDER • You should have purchased or will need to purchase a sturdy 3” 3-ring binder. Please bring it tomorrow if you did not bring yours today. You should also have dividers and a pencil pouch for your binder. • The planner you received will be kept in your binder at all times. • You will be provided with one sheet of paper a day as needed in each class. • Your binder will be taken to almost every class and will be kept with you. Each teacher will share their particular rules. • You will be trained how to keep your binder organized.

19. Binder • You will receive 6 unsharpened pencils at the beginning of each six weeks period through your 7th period class. You are expected to keep up with your pencils in your zippered pouch that should stay in your binder. • At registration, you paid for school supplies. The teachers have the materials that are needed to provide the best instruction for you. Respect for property includes taking care of the things that we have. The money that your parents paid will provide necessary supplies for the year. You are expected to help your teachers take care of the items in each room. Most of the supplies are to remain in the rooms so that they are available when needed. • You will be provided with the necessary items that are needed. However, this does not mean that teachers are expected to give an unlimited amount of supplies (such as pencils, pens, or papers). You will be given 6 pencils and 2 pens per six weeks. (That’s 36 pencils and 18 pens for the year).

20. SUPPLY STORE • Ms. Murphy will have a School Store this year in the library. • She will have a few items available for purchase if you should lose, misplace, or leave something at home. • For example, you will receive 6 pencils for each six weeks. If you lose them or leave them at home, you will be able to purchase a replacement pencil.

21. SUPPLIES AT HOME • It is recommended that you collect a few supplies to have available at home when you do your work. • What do you think some of the things that you should have at home? • Get a box, tub, or container to collect these items to have handy when you work on projects and homework at home. • Now is a good time to stock up on items to have at home since the stores are having good sales.

22. Welcome to 4th Period

23. CAFETERIA TIME IN THE MORNING: • All students (except those in athletics, band practices, or tutorials with teacher passes) are expected to report to the cafeteria before school starts. No student should be on the front yard, the football field, the basketball court, behind buildings, or any other location after 7:50. Detention may be given if teachers or administrators find you playing games or congregating in places where you should not be.  • Breakfast is served every morning starting around 7:50. You will clean up after you eat. • Students are not allowed in the hallways or classrooms unless they have a pass from the teacher for tutorials, etc. or if the teacher informs the cafeteria monitors of students who need to be allowed to move to their classrooms. • You will be dismissed by tables to enter the hallway. Your shirt tails must be tucked and shirts buttoned before you leave the cafeteria.

24. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

25. CELL PHONES • Cell phones should be turned off from 8:20 to 3:45. Based on the district’s new policy, students may keep the phones with them. If used in class, the teachers will determine their educational purpose. At no time should they be used to call anyone or to receive calls or to send or receive text messages. • Teachers may write a referral if the phone is being used for something other than an educational reason. • Cell phones often become a major disruption and a breach of confidentiality and security if used in inappropriate ways. • If you are threatened or bullied through the use of a phone or the internet, you should contact our SRO.

26. Cell Phones • During emergencies, DO NOT USE your cell phone to call or text anyone. Your call could put many people in danger. The proper authorities will be contacted. • Cell phones during testing situations are prohibited. They may be stored or taken up by the teacher during tests and will be taken up during TAKS. • If your phone or other property is stolen, the administrators and the SRO are not responsible for trying to get it returned. If they are able to assist, they will. • Leave expensive items at home.

27. Welcome to 5th Period

28. Rules and Expectations • Learn the rules and expectations in each of your classes so that you will know how the teacher expects your work to be done and turned in. • Know the system that your teachers have for finding out what you miss when you are absent. • It is your responsibility, not necessarily your teacher’s job, to make sure that you get your makeup work and that you complete it and get it in without having to be reminded.

29. Many of the teachers have websites and all should have them soon. If you have access to the internet, you will be able to see the plans for the week. It may help you to know what is assigned each day. • Learn to be organized. Place your papers in the binder neatly so that you will be able to find things when you need them.

30. PLANNERS • You have received a student planner that should remain in your binder all the time. • It has information that will be useful for you. • It has a place to write your assignments for each class each day.

31. PLANNERS • This will help you keep track of the assignments for homework. • You will also be able to mark the calendar when major tests or projects will be given or when they are due.

32. PLANNERS • Students will have their own bar codes and they will be placed on or in the planner. • This will be used when you are tardy. • The new tardy management system will use a scanner to enter a tardy and automatically record the tardy while giving the tardy pass and the assignment for detention.

33. PLANNERS • If you lose or destroy your planner, you will be charged $5.00 to replace it. • The planner may also be used in other ways. This will be decided by the teachers. This may include documentation of the number of times that a student requests trips to the restroom.

34. POSITIVE REWARDS SYSTEM • With our new tardy management system that includes the use of bar code scanners, the teachers and administrators can also store points given to students for doing good things. • This might include administrators or teachers randomly choosing classes to check dress code compliance.

35. POSITIVE REWARDS SYSTEM • For example, Mr. Burbach might walk into a class and if everyone in the class is following the dress code, he would scan your bar code and give Ram Points to you. During lunch time or other times during a six weeks, you will be given an opportunity to shop the Ram Rewards Store to spend the points you have accumulated. • Various items of various values will be offered throughout the year. These might include school supplies, personal items, sports items, maybe a chance to eat lunch with the principal, to get a homework pass (maximum one per class per six weeks). • Larger items, such as bicycles, ipods, passes to Putt Putt, Six Flags, restaurant gift certificates, etc. may be added throughout the year.

36. DRESS CODE POLICY • The standardized dress code policy must be followed everyday or you will be asked to call home to have a parent bring your uniform. If you are unable to get help from home, you will spend the day in ISS. • Garments must fit properly. Pants that are too large will need to be replaced with pants that fit.

37. All shirts are to be tucked in. • All shirts must have a collar. • If you wear a spirit shirt with a crew neck, you must wear a polo shirt underneath to provide a collar. • All shirts should be buttoned. • The only undershirts that should be seen are the polo shirts worn underneath a spirit shirt or worn underneath another polo shirt. • No lacy blouses should be seen under an unbuttoned polo shirt.

38. Occasionally, you will be allowed an out of uniform day. You may wear jeans and garments that you choose. However, you must follow the BISD dress code policy. Following the standardized dress code day by day will possibly encourage the administrators to allow more out of uniform days. • Teachers will be checking dress code compliance as you enter their classrooms. Persistent violations of the dress code will receive time in ISS.

39. Welcome to 6th Period

40. SUBSTITUTES AND YOUR EXPECTED BEHAVIOR • When substitutes are in the building, they are to be shown respect. Offer your assistance and your cooperation. • Substitutes will be asked to report to the teachers the problems that occur during class time. Teachers will handle these problems after they return. • If there are major problems, the subs may call for help from an administrator. If an administrator is called, there will be more severe consequences. • It is not the job of the students to make life difficult for the substitutes

41. STUDYING AT HOME • What are some habits that you can form at the beginning of our new year that will help you get their work done at home; Let’s brainstorm things that you need and should do to set up a good study area

42. Brainstorm • Well lit area • Desk or table • Supplies available: paper, pencil, map colors, markers, scissors, glue • Dictionary, thesaurus • Help from someone at home • Friends’ phone numbers if you have questions or have been absent and need to get your make up work • Teachers’ websites (if you have internet access) • Links for research sources (if you have internet access) • Links for tutorials

43. WHAT ARE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD STUDENT? • Let’s brainstorm what we believe it takes for students to be successful

44. Brainstorm • RESPECT • For authority • For teachers • For each other • For visitors • For property

45. BISD VALUES THAT WILL BE STRESSED THIS YEAR! • Responsibility • Empathy • Kindness • Honesty • Acceptance • Courage • Birdville Independent School District

46. Welcome to 7th Period

47. We will assign lockers and give locks in a few days • Students should write down their combinations in a secure place in their planners. • Practice opening the locks before they put them on their lockers.

48. Lockers • Do not share your combination with ANYONE. • Things can disappear from your lockers when you allow others to know your combination • OR when you allow others to share your locker.

49. Lockers • The lockers are too small for more than one person to use. • Always place your lock into the proper place on the locker to make it secure. • Do not leave the lock so that it can be pulled to open it. • Always turn the dial to make sure that it is secure. Pull on the lock each time you leave it.

50. Lockers • If you find your lock missing, let a teacher or administrator know right away. With surveillance cameras, we are often able to identify when someone is getting in a locker. We have to know this right away, though, to possibly use the camera to help. • If your lock is lost or is missing, it is your responsibility (unless we can identify the person who took it) to replace your lock. It will cost you $5.00 to replace.