Welcome to
Three
Our activities offer many opportunities for
participation. We encourage you to
become active members of teams, clubs, or organizations that interest you. This is also a great way to make new friends
and feel a part of our school community.
Mrs. Deborah L. Bulkley
Principal
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
We recognize and accept all students as unique
individuals in terms of needs, interests, and abilities. In cooperation with parents, we seek to
effect changes in students’ intellectual, physical, social, and emotional
development.
It is the responsibility of
While our students will be exposed to a
variety of teaching methods that address diverse learning styles, it is
essential that they also develop skills in cooperative group learning. In today’s society, it is necessary that our
students be made aware of and develop an acceptance of responsibility, change,
differences, effective citizenship, and appropriate social behavior.
Learning is a lifelong process, which is not
limited to school experiences. We
encourage students to actively participate in their own education and we strive
to instill a desire for growth and change throughout their lives.
School is an integral part of our community and as such, it is vital to
have an active, cooperative effort among staff, parents, students, and the
community at large. Communication is
essential to assure the coordination of all efforts towards each student’s
achievement and future success.
The mission of the Pembroke schools is to
educate each student with integrated knowledge, skills and character necessary
to achieve, contribute and thrive throughout life by actively engaging each
student within a safe environment dedicated to excellence and the betterment of
society.
The Pembroke School District does not
discriminate in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices
on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex or handicap
under the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age
Discrimination Act of 1967, Title IX of the Educational Amendment of 1972,
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Education for all
Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Any
person having inquiries concerning compliance with the regulations implementing
these laws may contact the district’s Compliance Coordinator, the Assistant
Superintendent of Schools, School Administrative Unit #53, 267 Pembroke Street,
Pembroke, New Hampshire 03275, (603) 485-5187.
Any person may also contact the New Hampshire
Human Rights Commission,
NO
CHILD LEFT BEHIND NOTIFICATION
As
a parent of a student in the
· Whether the teacher has met state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction
· Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived
· The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree
· Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
If you wish to receive any of this information, please contact the principal.
By law, parents have the right to review their
student’s educational records within 45 days of the day the District receives a
request for access. Parents should
submit to the principal a written request that identifies the record(s) they
wish to inspect. Arrangements will be
made for access and parents will be notified of the time and place where the
records may be inspected. Parents may
request that a record be amended on the basis that they feel the record is
inaccurate or misleading. They may make
a written request to the principal, clearly identifying the part of the record
they want changed, and specifying why it is inaccurate or misleading. If there is a disagreement between parents
and the school about amending the record, a hearing will be held.
School officials with legitimate educational
interests have, by law, access to students’ records without consent.
Teacher supervision on the playground begins
at 8:15 AM. Students who walk or receive
a ride to school, other than the bus, may not arrive earlier than 8:30 AM. Students enter the building at 8:35 and are
considered tardy if they are not in class by 8:45. Students are dismissed at 3:05 PM. Unless students are staying for an organized
activity supervised by a staff member, students are expected to leave school
grounds promptly at 3:05 PM.
The athletic program consists of many activities for all students who
want to participate. Interscholastic
teams are offered to seventh and eighth graders in the following sports: boys’
and girls’ soccer, cross-country, boys’ and girls’ basketball, baseball,
softball, and cheerleading. Intramural
sports are available for all students, fifth through eighth grades. Some of the activities offered are golf,
tennis, basketball, volleyball, cross country, and ultimate Frisbee.
Students are required to have a physical exam by their primary care
provider (family physician or nurse practitioner) on file, prior to either
tryouts or team participation in interscholastic sports. The physical exam must be current within
twenty-four months of the time of tryouts for the season in which the child
elects to participate. It is required
that parents have insurance coverage on their students participating in sports.
Each student must have a parent-signed
permission form on file at school for each sport prior to participation. In order to be eligible to participate in
sports students must 1) receive passing grades in all subjects, based on the
most recent report card or progress report, and 2) maintain an acceptable
discipline record. A student must
attend a full day of school on the day of a game in order to participate.
Each student is required by law to attend school at all times school is in session (NH RSA 193:1). Consequently, it is not possible for the administration to excuse students during school hours for personal business, family trips, etc. Acceptable reasons for an excused absence or tardy are personal illnesses, medical appointments, family emergencies, or religious holidays. Other situations should be cleared through the principal PRIOR to the absence. When an absence from school of more than one day is planned, parents are requested to notify the school and complete an Anticipated Absence Form, available through the main office.
When a student is going to be absent from
school for any part of the day (for example, due to illness or an appointment),
the parent is asked to call the office (485-9539) the morning of the
absence. Should a call not be received,
it is the policy of TRS to call the home, and if necessary the business phone
number listed on the emergency card, of every student who is absent.
If a student is absent one or two days, it
will be the responsibility of the student or parent to contact other classmates
in an effort to gather daily homework assignments. Homework assignments are also listed on our
web site. However, if a student is
absent three or more consecutive school
days, the parent may request these assignments through the office
secretary. This request may be in the
form of either a telephone call to the school or a written note received by
9:00 AM.
In order to participate in any school sponsored extracurricular
activity, students must attend school for the entire day on the day the
activity is scheduled.
Students who plan to be dismissed from school
during the hours school is in session should bring in a note from home stating
the reason and signed by a parent or legal guardian. Dismissals should be made for medical
appointments or family emergencies only to be considered excused. The student will not be dismissed from class
until the parent/guardian arrives in the office.
Students who are tardy to school should bring
a note from their parent or legal guardian stating the reason for being tardy.
Students who have been ill or who have had a medical or dental appointment will
be considered excused. Upon the fourth unexcused tardy arrival or
early dismissal in a marking term and every fourth tardy/dismissal
thereafter, a student will be issued a PSR.
It is our intent to provide students with a
quality education in a safe, healthy, and caring environment. As with any society, there are rules and
regulations that students must adhere to, to ensure that each individual’s
rights and property are respected.
Operating with these premises in mind, we have formulated the following
expectations for
Ø I will follow directions regarding behavior.
Ø I will keep my hands and feet to myself.
Ø I will focus on my own work and behavior.
Ø I will be courteous and respect the rights and
property of others.
We feel strongly that students should know
what is expected of them behaviorally and in turn, should they violate this
code, they need to know what the consequences might be. Furthermore, we have come to realize that
being firm, fair, and consistent in handling disciplinary matters is the most
effective approach.
The list of discipline standards below has
been prepared to meet the situations that most commonly occur, but is by no
means all-inclusive. There are many
other instances that require appropriate action (not defined herein) to be
taken by the administration.
If a student misbehaves, the staff member will
warn the student and indicate which rule was broken. This warning may be verbal, or the student’s
name may be written on the board. The
student is expected to stop the misbehavior.
Examples: talking out or talking rudely to someone.
Upon the second infraction of a rule, the same
rule as above or a different rule, the staff member will again warn the student
and point out which rule was broken. The
student will be reminded that further misbehavior will result in a PSR. At this time, the student may be asked to
log-in for the misbehavior. The log will
be a form with a space to indicate the date, time, nature of the problem that
occurred, student signature, and teacher signature. If a student is asked to log-in and refuses,
he/she will be asked to complete a PSR.
Examples: repeatedly talking out, arriving less than 5 minutes late for
class, or talking rudely to someone.
If a student misbehaves a third time in the same class/area, the student will be asked to go
the ISS room to complete a Problem Solving Report (PSR). When the student has completed the Problem
Solving Report, he/she may ask permission to return to class. The teacher will later complete the PSR and
it will be given to the student by the end of the day or the next day depending
on the time of the misbehavior.
A Problem Solving Report is a form that asks
the student to respond to the following statements:
I
made a poor behavior choice. I…
The
rule I broke was…
A
better way I could have handled this situation was…
The
teacher will inform the student when any missed work may be made up (after
school, during recess, etc.). If a
student refuses to complete the PSR, he/she will remain the In-School
Suspension room until the PSR is completed or will serve a 24-hour In-School
Suspension.
If a student is repeatedly committing the same
offense, the student will be warned that the next time he/she commits that same
offense a Problem Solving Report will be issued. For example, a student talks out, disturbing
class two days in a row, or chronic tardiness to class. Each day the teacher has asked the student to
follow through steps one and two. On the
third day the teacher may warn the student that he/she has been disrupting
class by talking out. The student will also be told that the next time he/she
talks out, he/she will be asked to complete a Problem Solving Report.
It is important that parents are informed when
a PSR is issued. Students are expected
to take the PSR home and return it, with a parent signature, the next school
day. The parent signature indicates that
the parent has seen the notice, it does
not signify agreement. Failure to return a signed PSR will result
in a detention.
School wide detentions are held on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday each week for forty-five minutes. Students are dismissed from detention at 3:55
PM. Transportation home is the parent’s
responsibility. If a student skips an
assigned detention, two detentions will be issued. The first will be issued to reassign the
original detention, and the second will be issued as a consequence for skipping
detention. Subsequent skipping will
result in the time being served during lunch periods for an equal amount of
time. Generally speaking, two lunch
detentions will make up one after school detention.
STEP 3 WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE
USED FOR MORE SERIOUS RULE INFRACTIONS SUCH AS:
Ø Throwing rocks/snowballs, etc.
Ø Misbehaving during a school assembly
Ø Misbehaving on a field trip
Ø Petty stealing
Ø Throwing food in the cafeteria
Ø Being out of assigned area
Ø Harassment
Ø Bullying
Ø Inappropriate displays of affection
Ø Gambling
Ø Offensive language
Ø Cheating
Ø Arriving more than 5 minutes late for class
Ø Repeatedly arriving late to class
Ø Other infractions as deemed appropriate by the
staff member(s) involved
If a student receives a third PSR in a month,
that student will serve an In-School Suspension. A notice, requiring a parent signature, will
be sent home indicating that the student is expected to serve a full day of
In-School Suspension. The signature
indicates that the parent has seen the notice; it does not signify agreement.
If a serious misbehavior or repeated
misbehaviors occur, a student will be assigned to In-School Suspension. Since this type of difficulty could occur at
any point during the school day, parent notification will take place by
telephone. The student will serve one
full day of In-School Suspension starting at the time they enter the room and
finishing at the same time the next school day.
Some reasons for In-School Suspension might
be:
Ø Possession of a lighter and/or matches
Ø Minor vandalism
Ø Refusing to fill out a PSR or not following
step procedures properly
Ø Extreme disrespect toward a staff member or
peer
Ø Fighting
Ø Possession of pornography
Ø Forgery
Ø 2nd offense of cheating
Ø Cutting class
Ø Repeated unexcused tardiness/early dismissals
Ø Other similar offenses
While serving an In-School Suspension, the
student is expected to work quietly.
He/she will fill out a Problem Solving Report. Class work will be provided and the student
will receive credit for his/her work.
Any work not completed will be graded as incomplete or the teacher may
request that the student stay after school to complete the work. Behavior difficulties during the In-School
Suspension will result in parents being called and the student being sent home. On any
day a student has served time in suspension, students are not allowed to
participate in or attend any school activities.
During the time that
a student is in In-School Suspension, a re-entry conference is recommended
between the sending staff member and the student. This will assist the student in knowing how
to avoid having further behavior difficulties.
If a student receives two separate incidents
of in-school suspensions within a short period of time, it is recommended that
his/her team of teachers meet with the student and parents to discuss the
behavior. One possible outcome of this
meeting could be a behavior contract detailing specific expectations and
consequences.
Before a student is suspended from school, the
student has a right to the due process guaranteed by our Constitution. Any student accused of an action and facing
possible suspension for this action must be granted a hearing before an
administrator. During this hearing, the
student must be apprised of the charges against him/her and must be given an
opportunity to respond to them. A
parent/guardian must be notified of all suspensions. The parent and/or student have the right to
appeal any suspension in excess of ten (10) days to the Pembroke School
Board. Regulations and procedures
regarding the disciplinary code are summarized in the handbook distributed to
students yearly.
Out-of-school suspensions are issued for
serious rule violations. Students will
be suspended from school for 1-10 days, depending on the seriousness of the
offense. Students are expected to
complete work issued on days they are suspended and will receive credit. Re-entry requires a conference with the
student, parent, a classroom teacher, and an administrator. Parents will be notified and a letter
specifying the condition of the suspension will be sent to parents. While students are on suspension, they may
not be present on any
Some examples of offenses resulting in out-of-school suspension are:
Ø Possession of a weapon
Ø Using or being under the influence of drugs or
alcohol
Ø Possession of drugs or alcohol
Ø Smoking or possession of tobacco in school or
on school grounds (as per state law)
Ø Major vandalism (reimbursement also required)
Ø Assault
Ø Sexual harassment
Ø Swearing at a staff person
Ø Stealing
Ø Serious fighting
Ø Use of lighter/matches or lighting a fire
Ø Leaving school grounds without permission
Ø Illegal activities
Ø Other similar offenses
Many of these violations will also result in
notification to the police and may result in referral to the Superintendent of
Schools for further disciplinary action.
Students may ride their bicycles to school
under the following conditions:
1.
They obey
safety regulations for bicycles including wearing a helmet (per NH RSA
265:144X). Students who consistently do
not wear helmets while riding on school property will be barred from riding
their bike to school.
2.
They walk
their bicycles on school grounds to and from the bike rack.
3.
They park
their bicycles in the racks provided by the school.
Failure to observe any one of the above may
mean suspension of the right to ride the bicycle to school. All bicycles should
be locked. The school will not be held
responsible for stolen or damaged bicycles. Skateboards,
roller blades, etc. may not be used on school grounds. Sneakers with retractable rollers may not be
worn to school.
Students who live beyond the walking limits to
school are permitted to ride a bus to and from school. Bus pick-up points are established as needed,
and students are required to use their assigned stop. The School Board’s responsibility for each
child begins when the child sets foot on the school bus. The responsibility ceases at the end of the
school day when the school bus departs the bus stop. The orderly, courteous and sensible behavior,
which is expected of you in school, is also expected of you at the bus stops
and on the bus.
Students have the primary responsibility to
conduct themselves in such a manner as to not cause distraction to the driver
and interfere with the safe operation of the school bus. Specifically, students shall:
1.
Be at the
pickup point on time. The bus cannot
wait for tardy arrivals, and the parent is obligated to provide transportation
to those who miss the bus.
2.
Stand at
least ten (10) feet from the edge of the road while waiting for the bus.
3.
Stand
well back from the bus until it has come to a complete stop and the red lights
are flashing.
4.
Board the
bus in an orderly fashion, using the handrail, and go directly to a seat.
5.
Occupy
only the seat designated by the driver.
6.
After
seating, keep hands and feet out of the aisles and let nothing hang outside the
seat area.
7.
Items
that are too large will not be allowed in the bus. (Musical instrument cases must be placed in
the area designated by the driver.)
8.
Remain
seated at all times while the bus is in motion.
9.
Not use
abusive language or engage in physical roughhousing or abuse while on the bus.
10. Refrain from loud talking or other noises that
may distract the driver.
11. Cross only in front of the bus and not behind
after disembarking. Cross at least ten
(10) feet in front of the bus and wait for a signal from the driver and cross
traffic.
12. Board only those buses to which they have been
assigned unless other arrangements have been approved by competent authority.
13. Not eat or drink on buses unless specifically
authorized to do so by the driver or other competent authority.
14. Not litter the bus or throw any object from
the bus.
15. Not deface or otherwise mar the bus or any
equipment on the bus.
16. At all times respect the rights of others,
including pedestrians walking near the bus.
17. The students shall not bring animals, birds,
insects, etc. on the bus.
Disciplinary Procedures:
The District has the right (RSA 189.92) to
suspend the privileges of riding the bus when a pupil fails to adhere to these
policy guidelines. Said suspension shall
not begin until the next school day following the day of notification to the
parent or legal guardians.
A student will be issued a verbal warning
prior to the issuance of a bus conduct unless the violation is flagrant.
Students who are to be given a written bus
conduct will meet with the bus coordinator or his/her designee and a
representative of the school before the conduct is processed.
Ø First Report - A written notice to parents
warning that the next written notice will result in a three-day suspension.
Ø Second Report – Three-day suspension of
privileges.
Ø Third Report – Five-day suspension of
privileges.
Ø Fourth Report – Action as necessary and
appropriate, which will be determined through meeting of parents, bus
coordinator and school personnel.
The parent or legal guardian has ten days to
appeal the suspension to the authority that issued the suspension. Pending appeal, and during the suspension,
the parent has the responsibility to transport the student to and from school.
Students who are suspended do not have the right to ride buses for the purpose of school-sponsored events.
Co-curricular activities consist of activities
not related to the instructional curriculum.
Types of activities vary, but they are especially relevant to the
growing interest and social skills of middle level students. These activities have several purposes: 1) to
help students see school as a positive environment, 2) to help students learn
how to develop satisfactory relationships with peers, 3) to help students gain
confidence in their individual abilities and thus to develop a positive
acceptance of self. Some examples of
co-curricular activities are intramural and interscholastic sports, art club,
drama club, and dances. Interscholastic
sports and dances are for seventh and eighth grade students only.
Students are not allowed to leave an activity
once they arrive, unless a parent comes and speaks to a chaperone. Arrangements for transportation home
immediately after an activity should be made in advance. Students must be current students of
For reasons of inclement weather in the early
morning hours, unplowed roads or school parking areas, heat or water problems
in a particular building, etc., a delayed opening procedure has been
established. The school schedule will be
delayed two hours. This means students
should be at bus stops two hours later than usual, and walkers should arrive
two hours later than the normal starting time.
Lunches will be served and dismissal will be at the regular time.
When rapidly worsening weather conditions or
other emergencies require that students be sent home before the usual 3:05 PM
dismissal time, area radio stations will broadcast that announcement. Please consider this possibility, and make
arrangements as to where your child should go if no one is at home.
If school is cancelled, area radio stations
will make the announcement prior to 7:15 AM.
The following stations will have the information:
WKXL 14.50
AM 102 FM
WKBR 12.50 AM
WHEB 75 AM 100 FM
WGIR 61 AM
WZID 95.7 FM
WOKQ 97.5 FM
Please do not call the school to see if school will be in session.
The
Ø Name
Ø Address
Ø Name of parent(s) or guardian(s)
Ø Date and place of birth
Ø Class membership
Ø Major field of study
Ø Participation in officially recognized
activities and sports
Ø Weight, height, and performance of members of
athletic teams
Ø Dates of attendance
Ø Degrees, honors, and awards
If a parent/guardian or a student over the age
of eighteen does not wish any portion of this information released, a written
request must be submitted to the appropriate school principal by the last day
of September for the current school year.
Mailings are sent to the custodial parents’
addresses. If a non-custodial parent
would like copies of progress reports, and/or report cards, they must provide,
upon school enrollment, a letter requesting this, accompanied by a legal document
permitting such release of information, and/or a letter releasing this
information from the custodial parent.
Any subsequent changes must be made in writing to the appropriate school
office.
The
a.
Students
are not permitted to wear hats, kerchiefs, or bandanas in the school building
at any time.
b. Appropriate shorts are permitted. These may include Bermuda shorts, jams,
walking shorts, and other shorts extending to or beyond the student’s
fingertips with arms extended straight at the sides. Skirts and dresses should also extend below
fingertip length.
c.
Inappropriate
items of clothing include cut off shirts and shorts, mesh shirts, muscle
shirts, shirts which expose the midriff, biking pants, low cut clothing, gym
shorts, boxer shorts, tank tops with shoulder straps less than 2 inches, pajama
pants and tops, or any clothing with offensive printed or gestured messages or
meanings.
d. Clothing should not display any alcohol or
tobacco logos, drug items, or other symbols inappropriate for young adolescents.
e.
Students
will not be permitted to wear outerwear such as jackets, fleece vests, and
coats in school. Outerwear should be
kept in lockers and should not be worn during the school day.
f.
Sneakers
with concealed roller skates are not permitted in school.
Students wearing inappropriate clothing will be sent to the office and
will be expected to comply with the dress code.
If necessary, a student will be asked to call a parent for a change of
clothing. In the event that a parent
cannot be reached, the student will have the option to borrow clothing from the
nurse or will be to the In School Suspension room until appropriate clothing is
obtained. Time missed from classes will
be unexcused. Repeatedly wearing
inappropriate clothing may result in disciplinary consequences.
Radios, CD players, tape players, pagers,
electronic games, cell phones, palm pilots, lap top computers, MP3 players,
headphones etc. are not allowed in school.
Field trips are planned to extend and enhance
classroom instruction. Before a field
trip, a notice explaining the details of the trip including costs and a
permission slip will be sent home. The
permission slip, signed by a parent, and any payment must be returned in order
for a student to participate in the trip.
Students must use school provided transportation both going to and
returning from field trips.
Participation in field trips is a
privilege. Students may be denied this
privilege if they are not completing their work and/or have shown through their
behavior that they may not be capable of behaving appropriately. Students who
have an attendance rate below 90% are not eligible to attend field trips. If students are not attending a field trip,
it is expected that they will attend school.
Please remember that when students are away
from school, people will judge our school and our community by the way students
behave. Misconduct on a field trip will
result in the loss of future field trip privileges. All school rules apply during the trip. For further information please refer to the
Pembroke School District Field Trip Policy found on the SAU #53 website.
When the fire alarm sounds, everyone should be
silent. Students should stop all work
immediately and follow the direction of the teacher to exit the building.
Breakfast is served from 8:15 until 8:35 AM in
the cafeteria. Students may purchase
juice, cereal, milk, fruit, or pastry separately. Students participating in the
breakfast program must eat in the cafeteria and then go outside when finished.