HSC
Student Handbook
What
makes
High School in the
Community has been a magnet school in
HSC is a
faculty-run school. The establishment of friendly relationships between
students and teachers is an essential feature of the school. The curriculum
offers subjects suited to students at every academic level.
HSC
Defined
HSC seeks to
develop students into critical thinkers, effective communicators, life long
learners and responsible citizens. HSC has adopted the following goals to
facilitate this process:
- Small school
enrollment
- Diverse student body
- Effective
multicultural and multiethnic work groups
- Problem-solving
skills to increase and utilize reading, writing, communication and
computation
- Computer literacy
through the use of the highest level of technology-rich education.
- Community
volunteerism and relating that work to what is learned in school
- Self-confidence to
take academic, social, and career risks
- Strong relationships that incorporate the
local, national and global communities
Non-negotiable
Academic Expectations
o
Participate consistently in SSR (Silent Sustained Reading).
o
Be prepared consistently with classroom materials including binders,
notebooks, pen, pencils and other designated materials
o
Complete homework nightly.
o
Come to class with a positive attitude, ready to learn and work.
o
Strive to possess a tolerant and embracing attitude toward
Unique
distinctions of
A.
Computer literacy required for all students
B.
Block time
C.
Team-taught multidisciplinary classes
D.
Use of community resources
E.
Selection of school-wide activities
F.
Emphasis on using and integrating technology
G.
CAPT and SAT preparation
H.
College-prep, Honors, and Advanced Placement courses
I.
"Family group" for new students; ź elective credit
J.
Faculty advisor assigned to each student; faculty advocate
K.
Small guidance groups
L.
Effective
utilization of technology
Schedule
The school day
begins at
Monday
through Thursday Schedule:
A-per:
NOTE: STUDENTS ARE NOT ADMITTED TO A-PERIOD CLASS
AFTER
B1:
B2:
Lunch:
C:
D:
AFTER SCHOOL HELP
IS AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT.
Friday
Guidance Schedule: see postings
A-period:
Guidance:
B1:
Lunch:
B2:
Dismissal at
Guidance
and Guidance Structure
o
For new students: Family Group
"Family group" is required for students
new to HSC. Its purpose is to support, assist, and advise new students on a
daily basis. Family group assists new students in becoming oriented to the HSC
community. Students discuss problems and challenges related to the high school.
Family Group instructors facilitate this transition and personalize new
students experiences. The citywide Social Development Curriculum is widely
used in the Family Group program.
o
For returning students: weekly guidance groups
Guidance groups meet with their faculty guidance teacher weekly for
advice on school issues. Guidance teachers will assist and advocate for
students. The Social Development Curriculum will be utilized during this weekly
meeting.
o
For seniors: senior guidance advisor
Seniors are assigned a senior faculty advisor to
focus on their college-application preparation and progress towards
post-secondary plans; college selection and applications are strongly supported
in senior guidance.
Full-time guidance counselors provide professional
assistance to all students for personal and educational advice. A social worker
and a school psychologist are assigned to the school and are available to
students as needed. Students who work may obtain Cooperative Work Experience
Credit. See the Guidance Office for forms and details.
Behavior
Standards, Rules and Policies
o Attendance:
HSC considers it essential that students attend school on a regular basis
in order for students to develop to their full potential. Polices for
attendance are in accordance with the New Haven Public Schools Administrative Procedures.
An absence is
considered excused when a child does not attend school due to:
- Illness or injury
- Death in the immediate family
- Religious obligation
- Court appearance
- School sponsored activity
- Emergencies
- Other exceptional circumstances
Students who are
absent from school must have a written excuse submitted to the Main Office in
writing by a parent or guardian.
o
Hall
Passes:
- Students must have passes in order to leave
class
- Planners must be used as hall passes
- Students are accountable to hall monitors
- Field trips are limited to students maintaining
a C average or better with good attendance and behavior
o
A.
A no smoking policy exists at
B.
A student who arrives at school after
C.
"Walkman" (and related items such as headphones, ear phones,
etc) may not be worn in the school building.
D.
Radios, boom boxes, tape decks, beepers may not be carried or used in the
school building or on campus unless it is brought to the school at the request
of a faculty member. Cell phones MUST BE TURNED OFF
E.
Young children/babies may not be brought to the school for the day.
F.
No food or liquids are to be consumed in any school room except in the
student eating areas of the cafeteria or multicultural community room.
G.
Hats or other non-religious headwear MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE ENTERING SCHOOL
and remain off throughout the school day.
o
Visitor policy
Visitors are
welcome but only when it is arranged in advance with the Main Office. Visiting students must have a parent call in
to request a visitation.
o Loss of
credit
Excessive
absences, tardiness, or lack of schoolwork may result in the loss of credit.
o
Behavior and Peer Mediation
HSC works to
resolve conflicts, disruptive behavior or problems among students through the
Peer Mediation process. For other serious offenses, parents, guardians, the
Student Membership coordinator, Office Assistants, and Guidance Counselors will
be automatically involved. In the event of a major or ongoing problem, a
student may be suspended, arrested or asked to leave the school permanently.
o Discipline
HSC has an ongoing
commitment to a safe and positive learning environment. A student who is a
repeated discipline problem, and has been subject to continued efforts by the
teacher to remedy the situation, may be removed from the classroom setting and
referred to office personnel for disciplinary action. Such referral will be
accompanied by a written statement which identifies the offense and includes
the details of the infraction.
A student who is
referred to the office for violation of school rules will receive disciplinary
action. Depending on the severity of the infraction and pursuant to the
procedures outlined in the New Haven Board of Education discipline policy and
the HSC Discipline Outline, disciplinary action may include:
A.
Parent Conferences
B.
Detention
C.
Community Service to School
D.
Suspension
E.
A request for expulsion from school
Additionally:
o These disciplinary actions
may take place as direct consequences to violation of specific school rules or
for repeated violations of the same school rule.
o The school will contact
parents prior to enforcing any of the above disciplinary actions.
o If a student is suspended
from school, the student is not allowed on school grounds and cannot
participate in any school activities for the duration of the suspension.
o The parent or guardian must
accompany the student to a conference at the end of the suspension period.
OFFENSES will include the following, but are not limited to this list:
o Fighting/ Student assault/
Threats
o Intimidation/ Harassment
o Weapons Possession
o Drugs or alcohol possession
o Vandalism or destruction of
school property
o Theft
o Pushing/ Shoving/ Horseplay
o Smoking on School Grounds
o Insubordination (deliberate
disrespect or disregard of teacher requests)
o Profanity
o Cutting class or detention
o Truancy
o Tardiness (to school or to
class)
o Possession of electronic
devices
o Food in the classroom or
academic facilities
o Violation of dress code
o Violation of policy dealing
with student conduct on school bus
o Plagiarism
o Falsification of school
records
o Violation of district
computer and internet use policy
o Unauthorized occupancy of
restricted premises
For further
insight on above statutes, please refer to ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES: (A
HANDBOOK FOR STUDENTS
ANY ACTION
DEEMED IN VIOLATION TO THE CODES
Detention:
o
Students may be assigned to school wide detention by the teacher,
facilitator or office personnel, or may serve a teacher detention from
o
Parents will be contacted on the day of the infraction. Parents will be
responsible for making transportation arrangements for their children.
o
Student employment is not a valid excuse for missing detention.
Friday
Detention:
- Friday detention will meet every Friday
while school is in session from
- Two detention sessions will be held on Fridays. The first will be
held from
- Students MUST BRING and USE classroom materials, books and/or
reference materials during the detention period.
o
All school rules are in effect during the detention.
Parental
Contact:
Teachers and the office
personnel will make every effort to contact parents regarding a students
progress. Parents will be called in the
event of a serious disciplinary occurrence.
Computer Lab
Protocol:
The High school in
the Community Internet account is free to all users. Access to the Internet is
considered a privilege. School administrators may deny or suspend user access
as they see fit. Students must sign and
abide by the Acceptable Use Policy.
Additionally:
o
There is no food or beverages allowed in the computer areas at any time.
o No games are allowed on
school computers.
o No internet chat or chat
programs are allowed on school computers.
o Computers may not be used
for any commercial purposes.
o Computers may not be used
for any illegal purpose.
o Computers may not be used
to access pornographic or questionable materials.
o Students are expected to
remain on task while working on the computers and show that they realize
that the computers are valuable educational equipment, not recreational items.
Student Attire
(see accompanying illustration):
o
Clothing slogans should not promote the use of drugs or alcohol nor
should they be sexually or racially offensive.
- Students are expected to carry their
belongings, such as books, coats, school materials, etc. with them to each
class. H.S.C. does not have lockers for each student to use.
OR YOU WILL BE SENT HOME!!!
belts
Scoop Neck
mid-thigh
shorts
no
more than 5
(index
card) from
middle
of knee shoes,
boots, sneakers
or sandals
Reminder of appropriate
dress:
- mid-thigh shorts and skirts (no more than 5
inches from your knee)
- scoop neck (no plunging necklines)
- belts with pants/shorts pulled up (a la Steve Urquel)
- footwear
- no drugs/alcohol/violence/sexual preference on
clothing
- no bare shoulders or midriffs
*If youre not sure if its
okay its probably not, so dont wear it!
Individual student
use:
Students who have
a pass from their course teachers may work in the library center. Students will
not be admitted without a pass. With permission from the library media
specialist, students may work or read quietly.
Checking out
materials:
Books from the
non-reference section may be checked out for two weeks. While
Additionally:
- Students are advised not to lend other
students books that they have checked out. Should the item be lost, the
student who checked it out will be responsible for paying for it.
- There is a zero tolerance policy for rude
behavior in the library media center. Anyone displaying rude behavior will
be asked to leave.
- Students are warned that any backpacks
left in the library center will be taken to the Main Office.
Students
who drive their cars to school must abide by the following:
- Cars must be registered with the main
office.
- Cars must be parked in the student
parking area. Students who park in other areas may lose their parking
privileges.
- Cars must be left locked, in the parking
lot, for the entire school day.
- Cars cannot be taken out of the lot
during school time and cannot be used as a lounge.
Classroom
Information:
Students at HSC
are expected to come to school with notebooks, paper, and writing materials
daily. Also, needed are the following:
- A book bag or day pack.
- A calculator; for advanced work in
science and mathematics a TI-83 graphing calculator or similar model is
essential.
- A pocket dictionary; students may also
need to have a standard dictionary at home.
- An atlas
- A foreign dictionary where applicable.
Homework
Policy:
o
Homework at
o
Full credit cannot be granted in a course if homework is missing.
Failure
Policies:
AP Classes:
- An F in any quarter attributed to attendance,
lack of work and/or assignments will require that the student be withdrawn
from the class.
- Students falling behind who do not seek extra
help from the classroom teacher will be withdrawn from the class.
All Classes:
- At mid-terms, all parents of students earning D
or F will receive phone calls from classroom teachers and letters from
guidance counselors. Meetings with
parents will be scheduled, if appropriate.
- Students failing two (2) or more classes will be
required to attend the after school homework support group.
- All absences (even excused) are counted toward
cumulative absences. (district policy)
- Field trips limited to students maintaining a C
average or better with good attendance and behavior.
Make up
work:
- Students must make arrangements with teachers to
make up missed work.
- Failure to make up missed work can result in the following
consequences:
- No field trips
- Banned from attending school functions of any
kind
- Phone calls to parents
- Banned from the prom
- Loss of credit
Weekly
Progress Reports:
WPRs are available if parents
request them.
GovernancePTSO,
Policy Council:
o
The faculty meets weekly on issues concerning the governance of the
school as well as on curriculum and issues concerning students.
o
The Parent-Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) is the key advisory body
to the school. Parents/guardians, teachers, and students have a voice in
bringing up issues and proposals of interest to the school.
o
The Student Council addresses student governance concerns. Student
Council elections are held early in the fall of each year.
After-school
programs and extracurricular activities:
HSC encourages student involvement in clubs and
after- school programs and extracurricular activities. Clubs and programs
include:
o
Interact Club
o
Debates and Law
o
Student Council
o
Chess and ping pong
o
City-wide Student Council Philosophy Club
o
New Haven High Schools League Art Club
o
School Chorus
o
Year Book
o
School Newspaper
o
Theater Productions
o
International Studies Program
o
International Cooking Club
o
Intramural basketball
o
Bicycle Repairs Program
o
Math Team: Greater
HSC students from
Graduation
Requirements:
The class of 2005 will be required to
complete 24 credits for graduation from High School in the Community.
After both
student and parent have read this handbook, please sign form below, tear off
and return form to your guidance teacher.
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I
HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND, AND SUPPORT THIS STUDENT HANDBOOK.
_________________________________________
(STUDENT
SIGNATURE) (DATE)
_________________________________________
(PARENT SIGNATURE) (DATE)