Below is a list of policies followed at our school.

Tardy Policy

Rockingham County Schools believes that regular school attendance is of crucial importance to the educational achievement of each student. Further, the board affirms that the primary responsibility for regular attendance resides with the parents/guardians and the individual student. It is the responsibility of all school personnel to promote and encourage regular school attendance and to create and maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning. 

To be considered in attendance, a student must be present for one-half school day or at a place other than school with the approval of the appropriate school official for the purpose of attending an authorized school activity.

The following are excused reasons to be absent when satisfactory evidence for the excuse is provided to school officials: (1) Illness or Injury (2) Quarantine (3) Death in the Immediate Family-Includes grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters but is not limited to these family members (4) Medical or Dental Appointments (5) Court or Administrative Proceedings (6) Religious Observance (7) Educational Opportunity-Prior approval must be granted by Principal Procedures for Attendance. 

The parent shall furnish written verification of absence upon the student’s return to school. The principal may require a note from the student’s physician after five (5) consecutive or ten (10) accumulated absences in a semester. When a student has a passing grade in a course but receives no credit because of attendance, the grade will be averaged as 59 for that semester. Forfeiture of Promotion or Course Credit Grades 9-12: Students with more than 10 absences in a semester or 20 absences in a year, including out-of-school suspension, will not receive credit for that course. Appeal Procedure Parents or students who believe excessive absences causing retention or loss of credit are due to extenuating circumstances may appeal the decision to the principal or his designee. Board Policy Reference: Policy #4400   

MHS Tardy Procedures:

• Students who do not arrive in their classroom after the first 5 minutes of first period are to go to the check in desk outside of the main office.

• Students without a pass to first period (after 5 minutes will not be permitted into the classroom).

• Tardy students will be documented at the check-in desk and be given a pass to class.

• Students inside of the 5 minute window (Only for 1st Block) should be noted as a Tardy to class and be permitted to enter class.  Teachers must document the number of tardies to class.

• Students arriving to school after 11:30 a.m. shall be counted absent for daily attendance.

• Car trouble or lack of transportation is an unexcused absence.

• Students tardy to school or to any class during the day will be assigned disciplinary consequences by the teacher/administration.

• Work missed because of tardies (excused or unexcused) can be made up. Work not made up will result in the loss of credit. It is the student's responsibility to ask for any work missed.

• Students failing to stay for the teacher assigned detention time will be referred to the office and will be assigned to ISS.

• Students must be present for 45 minutes of the class period in order to be counted present.

RCS HIGH SCHOOL TARDY POLICY:

Consequences start over at the beginning of each grading period

• 1-4 tardies – Warning / Call Home (AlertNow or Personal)

• 5-8 tardies – 1 period of ISS.

• 9-11 tardies – 1 day of ISS.

• 12 tardies and beyond – Up to 2 days OSS and involvement of school social worker;  Behavior Contract after OSS

• Excessive tardiness may result in loss of school privileges to include, but not limited to, the following: driving privileges on campus, attendance at athletic and extra-curricular events, club participation, exam exemptions, lunch detention, after school detention, and prom.

• Schools will encourage students by creating incentives to promote attendance and promptness to class. Failure to comply with imposed consequences is a violation of Board policy and may result in additional consequences, including loss of privileges and OSS.

Smoking Policy

No students shall possess, smoke or otherwise use any tobacco product in any school building or school vehicle at any time, on the school premises during the school day, or during any period of time when students are subject to the authority of school personnel.

• Students who are found to be in possession of tobacco products or are smoking/using tobacco product on the school grounds will face the following consequences:

• 1st offense: ISS and/or TAPS

• 2nd and subsequent offenses: 3-10 days of OSS

• Students who are found to be smoking INSIDE ANY BUILDING on the campus or on any school bus will face the following consequences:

• 1st and subsequent offenses: 3-10 days of OSS

• School Board policy allows the principal to assign students to corrective education and/or counseling in lieu of a long term suspension if special conditions are met.

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Telecommunications Policy

PRIVILEGE OF USE

The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use of this privilege will result in the cancellation of that privilege. Students are responsible for the educational, ethical, and legal use of their own accounts and materials obtained through Internet and other electronic networks. The student exercising his/her privilege to use the Internet as an educational resource shall also accept the responsibility for all material received through his/her account.

NETWORK SECURITY

All Internet access will be filtered. Network accounts are to be used only by the owner of the account. Students are required to keep ID/Password confidential.

Students should be aware that electronic mail is not guaranteed to be private. System operators have access to all mail. Student access to e-mail will be filtered accounts monitored by the instructor. 

A student has the responsibility to report to his/her teacher all violations of security to his/her account. Messages relating to or in support of illegal or unethical activities will be reported to the authorities.

Approval is required from the student's instructor prior to subscribing to a newsgroup and/or list from the network. 

Students are not to give out personal information such as a home address or phone number to anyone via electronic networks. 

Any use of the network for commercial gain or profit is prohibited. 

Students will accept responsibility for keeping copyrighted software of any kind from illegally entering the school over electronic networks.

Students will accept the responsibility for keeping all inappropriate files or files dangerous to the integrity of the network from entering the school through the Internet. 

NETWORK ETIQUETTE AND CITING OF SOURCES

Students will use proper network etiquette. The use of inappropriate language or harassment is not acceptable. Appropriate bibliographic citations must be given for all information obtained through electronic networks. Students are to limit their pursuit of information through electronic sources to curriculum-related activities.

Vandalism will result in immediate cancellation of user privileges and possible restitution. 

ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

The Board of Education recognizes that electronic resources of all types are becoming a vital part of an up-to-date education for our students whom we are preparing to become technologically literate citizens. It is the goal of the schools to offer students the opportunity to examine a broad range of options and ideas in the educational process, including the privilege to locate, use and exchange information and ideas on the Internet and other electronic networks. 

The ultimate responsibility for a student's actions in using the Internet and e-mail rests with the student and his/her parents(s)/legal guardians. Parents/legal guardians have the option of requesting that their child not be provided with access to the Internet. To exercise this option, parents must sign the Parental Request to Restrict Access, which is available in the student handbook.