Completion of 21 credits

Participation in Grade 9 state testing

Successful Completion of a Graduation Digital Portfolio

Successful Completion of a Senior Project

Effective in the 2005 school year, the term Study Hall will no longer be used. Periods in which students are not in scheduled core / content classes will be called a Directed Literacy Period (DLP). These periods as well as the Advisory Program will count as instructional time. When in a DLP, students are to have all the necessary books and materials needed to spend the entire period reading and studying.

Starting in the 2005 school year, students in Grades 9 and 10 will be required to participate in an Advisory Program which will be conducted for the first twenty (20) minutes of Periods 8 and 9. The mission of the Advisory Program is to facilitate achievement of graduation requirements, and high academic, civic, and social standards through cooperative relationships in a small, diverse group guided by the same adult over four years. An established Advisory plan of activities will be followed. During the remaining thirty-five (35) minutes, students will participate in a DLP activity or attend activities such as music, Student Council, FFA and art club. An Advisory Program will be added in Grade 11 during the 2006 school year and in Grade 12 in 2007. The time spent in Advisory or when attending the other activities will count toward the required 330 minutes of instruction

PERIODS 8 AND 9

The primary purposes of having Periods 8 (Tuesday, 8:55-9:50 AM)) and 9 (Thursday, 1:20-2:15 PM)) are to integrate an Advisory Program for Grades 9 and 10 (and in subsequent years for Grades 11 and 12), and to afford students the opportunity to be involved in co-curricular activities. Mandatory Advisory Program activities for Grades 9 and 10 during the 2005-2006 school year will take place during the first twenty (20) minutes of Periods 8 and 9. Students who elect to be involved in co-curricular activities such as FFA, music, Student Council, and FBLA will proceed to those activities when Advisory activities are completed. Students who do not participate in a co-curricular activity following Advisory will remain in their Advisory room and will participate in Directed Literacy activities, including research, homework completion, personal reading and any other educationally-related activity.

The above changes to Periods 8 and 9 are the result of the mandated state requirements that students receive 330 minutes of instruction each day and that each student’s learning experience be more personalized.

Students in Grades 9 and 10 are required to attend Periods 8 and 9. Late arrival and / or early dismissal from school to avoid attendance in these periods is prohibited.

Effective with the Class of 2006 and for each subsequent class, students are required to receive 330 minutes of instruction each day as mandated by the Rhode Island Department of Education. This includes attendance in Advisory and Directed Literacy Periods. This year, students in Grades 9 and 10 will not be excused early or be excused tardy to school unless for a valid reason such as the following: funeral, religious day, doctor’s appointment or through prior arrangement with the administration.

If a student needs to leave school early, the student must present a note signed by a parent or guardian. This note must contain the date and time of dismissal, reason for dismissal, and a telephone number for verification. Students who are 18 years of age must present a note that they can sign. This note must be presented to the high school office by 8:55 AM the day of the dismissal. Students will be excused early only for valid reasons, which include medical and legal appointments, funerals, and drivers’ tests.

Starting in the 2005 school year, students will be reporting to their first class instead of homeroom. Students are expected to be in their first class by the 7:50 AM bell. Any student arriving after this bell is considered tardy to class. Attendance will be taken and morning announcements will follow the 7:50 AM bell. Instruction will begin at 7:55 AM.

This year’s change of having students report directly to their first period class instead of homeroom to start the day has necessitated a closer look at the issue of tardiness to school. As in former years, students who arrive at school after school begins will be required to report to the main office and sign in. Students who are tardy to school without a prior phone call from a parent or guardian or a note excusing their tardiness will still be assigned a detention. Legitimate excuses for tardiness will include funeral or religious obligations, driver’s test, legal or doctor’s appointments with proper documentation or through prior arrangement with the administration.

This policy will be reviewed and any changes will be forwarded to students and parents as soon as they are available.

Any suspension issued by the administration may be appealed. This appeal must be submitted before 8:00 AM the day the suspension is to be served. If the appeal is denied, the decision may be appealed to the Superintendent of Schools. This appeal must be scheduled and heard within two days following the denial by the Principal. If the superintendent denies the appeal and supports the decision of the administration, the consequences for the offense will take effect the day following the decision by the Superintendent.

The Scituate School Committee has adopted a policy against bullying behavior and is available in its entirety as Policy #8180 in the District’s policy manual. Bullying occurs when a student or adult, while at school, on the bus, or at a school sponsored event, intentionally assaults, batters, threatens harasses, stalks, menaces, intimidates, extorts, or taunts, either orally or in writing, another school community member. Bullying also occurs when a student or group of students organizes a campaign of shunning against another student or spreads malicious rumors about a student. In most cases, bullying does not include mutual fights between students, but is a result of continued torment over time.

Disciplinary sanctions may include a full range of consequences including verbal or written warnings, notification of parents/guardians, exclusion from participating and/or attending extra and co-curricular activities, loss of school transportation, detention, and/or Alternative Learning Center or short term or long term out of school suspension. Criminal offenses will be investigated by the Administration and the School Resource Officer and referred to the Juvenile Court System or Juvenile Hearing Board.

It is important to note that any student or adult who witnesses bullying is obligated to report these occurrences to the school authorities.

In accordance with the Scituate School Committee’s policy on Honesty and Integrity in Academic Work (Policy # 8040), honesty, fairness, and student integrity should prevail in any student’s academic work. Therefore, any work submitted in a dishonest fashion will not be accepted, and dishonest behavior will be subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism. Violations of this policy will be handled on an individual basis.

Consequences for these actions will include:

• a grade of zero will be given for the assignment with no opportunity for a makeup
• cheating may be considered as grounds for exclusion from programs, awards, or recognition based on honors achievement
• repeated or egregious cheating may result in course failure and/or suspension
• a discipline report will be sent home to the parent indicating the events of the incident.

Repeated violations of this policy will result in a conference with administration, teacher, student, and parent.