A. ATTENDANCE
Attendance at school is
mandated by Rhode Island General Law 16-19-1 and School Committee Policies
JEA and JEDA for those students who have not reached their sixteenth
birthday. After that date, students are
in school on a voluntary basis and submit to the state mandate and School
Committee policy as a condition of enrollment. It is clear to all connected with schools, that attendance at school is, in addition to the
legal considerations, absolutely necessary for academic success. Regular attendance results in a sense of
responsibility which is necessary for survival in the workplace. Absence
or Tardiness
a. Daily
attendance for all students in the school district is required. b. Parents
are required to submit a written excuse for each period of absence or late
arrival to school. c. The
cooperation of parents in not scheduling personal appointments during the day
is needed. d. Repeated
tardiness to school is unacceptable. Students shall be allowed two (2) latenesses per quarter. These latenesses
must be accompanied by a note from the parent/guardian. e. Chronic
truancy or tardiness will be referred to the school Attendance Administrator
which may result in a referral to the 1. Elementary a. Three (3)
or more absences during any marking period will be brought to the attention
of the school nurse for review. b. Excessive
absences and late arrivals which are not the result of a clearly defined
medical reason will be brought to the attention of the school Attendance
Administrator. 2.
Secondary a. A parent
or guardian must call the school to notify the appropriate person of a
student’s absence. b. Any
student deemed truant will be assigned to an alternative in-house school
setting after a parent conference is held.
Chronic truancy will be referred to the school Attendance
Administrator, which may result in a referral to the c. Students
who have been absent from school for more than fifteen (15) days per year may
not attend summer school or be tutored. d. Repeated
tardiness - more than a cumulative total of four (4) per quarter - will
result in a student’s suspension until a parent conference is held. Chronic offenders will be brought to the
attention of the school Attendance Administrator. B.
TRANSIT TO SCHOOL
1. Code of
Behavior - School Buses* Students shall conduct themselves in an orderly
and respectful manner. The school bus
is a classroom on wheels. Students
should act on a school bus as they would in the classroom. The driver is in charge of the school bus
in the same manner as a teacher is in charge of a schoolroom. Examples
of Unacceptable Behavior Which Will Result in the Suspension of Bus
Privileges Are: 1. Fighting
or assault on the bus. 2. Possessing
or use of illicit drugs or alcohol. 3. Smoking
or the lighting of flammable objects. 4. Insulting,
insolent or otherwise unseemly behavior to the driver, the adult bus monitor,
or student(s). 5. Causing
a disturbance by teasing or threatening the driver or student(s) 6. Damaging
school bus property and/or personal property.
It will be the responsibility of the parent(s) of those students
involved for proper reimbursement to the school district. 7. Tampering
with or using the Emergency Door without permission of the driver. 8. Throwing
an object or objects at the bus or from the bus. Examples of Unacceptable Behavior That May Result
in Disciplinary Action Possibly Leading to the Suspension of Bus Privileges
Are: 9. Shouting
or otherwise making continuing noise on the bus thus creating a distraction
to the driver. 10. Moving
about within the bus while the bus is in motion. 11. Standing
or moving at the bus stop in such a manner as to create a danger to self or
others. 12. Opening
the windows of the bus without the driver’s permission. 13. Blocking
of aisles so as to endanger passengers. 14. Spitting
on the bus. 15. Eating
or drinking on the bus. NOTE: REPETITION OF ANY VIOLATION OR ANY
INFRACTION WILL RESULT IN SUSPENSION OF BUS PRIVILEGES. Violations of this Code or any
other actions not specifically listed which interfere with or threaten the
safe operation of the school bus and create a hazard to the safety of the
students and/or the driver shall constitute grounds for the temporary
suspension of bus privileges or temporary suspension from school. Procedures to be followed in a
disciplinary action resulting in a temporary loss of bus transportation or
suspension are outlined in Student Suspension Regulation. Students shall be entitled to due process
as outlined in Student Suspension Policy. *See also School Committee
Policy-EEACC (also JFCC). 2. Code of Behavior - Walkers a. Students
must proceed directly to and from school in an orderly fashion using
designated routes b. Elementary
students must cross streets only at crosswalks where designated adult
crossing guards are posted. c. Students
who damage public or private property will be reported to the Warwick Police
Department. C. STUDENT BEHAVIOR ON SCHOOL GROUNDS PRIOR TO
THE OPENING OF SCHOOL. 1. Elementary a. Students will arrive at school no earlier
than ten (10) minutes before the opening of school. b. Upon arrival, students will report directly
to a designated area and must conduct themselves in an orderly manner. ·
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Clear Weather - Children will report to the
school yard. ·
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Inclement Weather-Children will report to
an area designated by the Principal. 2.
Secondary Students arriving at school earlier than fifteen
(15) minutes before the beginning of the homeroom period will be restricted
to certain areas of the building designated by the Principal. Within the
fifteen (15) minute period prior to homeroom, students will be in the
corridors solely for the purpose of getting materials from their
lockers. They are then to report
directly to homeroom. Students are to
remain in homeroom during the homeroom period unless given written permission
to leave by a teacher or administrator. D. DRESS CODE K - 12 In
order to enhance the educational environment and promote proper personal
growth habits, a dress code has been established for the Warwick Public
Schools. The purpose of this code is
to remove distractive, disruptive, and dangerous apparel from the educational
environment. The code has been written
not to infringe upon the individuality of the students but rather to create a
feeling and awareness of community pride within the student body. In adopting this code, the Warwick School Department hopes to create a clean,
healthy, and safe environment which shall be conducive to good education and
beneficial to all students. It is the
School Committee’s intent that students wear appropriate, clean
non-disruptive clothing, and in keeping with that intent, students are
required to comply with the following: 1. Articles
of clothing must cover the torso, to be appropriate to the school environment
and/or non-disruptive in the classroom. 2. Sunglasses
may not be worn in classrooms unless medical reasons exists. 3. No hats
may be worn within the building. 4. No
clothing that promotes alcohol, drugs, violence, profanity, or is obscene as
that word is construed by the United States Supreme Court decisions shall be
worn in a school building. 5. Coats
worn as outerwear may not be worn within the building during school hours. The School Committee recognizes
that a student may be exempted from the provisions of the dress code due to
health or handicapping conditions.
Exceptions to the dress code will be granted by the building Principal
upon presentation of substantive evidence from the child’s physician. Such evidence shall include the specific
condition and how the child’s health will be affected by the dress code,
information regarding any previous instances of problems, and the length of
time the exception is to be in place.
All exceptions will be reviewed monthly by the school building
Principal. E. ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Students are prohibited from
carrying, possessing or using a paging device of any kind or a laser pointer
of any kind within the building during school hours. Students are prohibited from using a
cellular phone on school property during school hours. Students are also prohibited from wearing
or using “walkman” type electronic gear within the building during school
hours. Violation of this policy will
result in the confiscation of the device. F. BEHAVIOR Actions
or conduct which would constitute a crime will be reported to the Warwick
Police. Actions which interfere with
or threaten the orderly conduct of school functions, or violate the written
policy of the Warwick Public Schools are grounds for suspension. This applies to ALL school
associated activities, including classroom, extra curricular, and athletic. In accordance with Section 1. Grounds for Suspension Actions
which if committed by an adult would be a crime, or actions or conduct which
interfere with or threaten the orderly conduct of school functions including
classroom, extra curricular, athletic and other school related functions or
violate written policy of the Warwick School Committee, school department
rules and regulations or school rules* shall constitute grounds for
suspension of a student from enrollment in the Warwick Public Schools. *School
rules outlining punishable offenses and penalties are posted in all schools
in accordance with Section 2 Criminal Actions which Result in Suspension
and Other Disciplinary Measures a Arson b Assault
and/or battery c Burglary,
theft or robbery d Extortion e False
alarms f Forgery g h Possession
of fireworks i Possession
of weapons including without limitation firearms, knives, bombs, rockets and
grenades. The Warwick School
Department follows all applicable state and federal laws including the Gun
Free School Act, which includes a definition of weapons and penalties for
weapon possession. j. Tampering
with a school computer or computer program. k. Bomb
Threats – Verbal or written. * Refer to Substance Abuse
Policy (JFCH/JFCI) for further direction. 3. Actions which Result in Suspension and/or
Other Disciplinary Measures a. Cutting Class b. Failure
to report to detention c. Fighting d. Harassment - verbal, physical or sexual. e. Leaving
school grounds without permission. f(i). Use
of tobacco - School Committee Policy (JFCG) .....Smoking and the
use of all tobacco products is forbidden on school property. The penalty for infraction of this policy
shall be suspension. Appropriate
notices regarding this matter shall be sent home to the parents at the beginning
of the school year. (ii). Possession of tobacco or tobacco products on
school grounds will result in the confiscation of such items. g. Truancy h. Profanity i. Disrespect,
disobedience – failure to comply with directions of teachers
administrators and other appropriate staff members on school grounds or at
school related activities. j. Lack of
needed materials k. Cheating l. Overt
displays of affection m. Property
damage, including vandalism. n. Simple Assault
Also included is any other infraction
not specifically listed in A or B which is, of its very nature, disruptive of
the educational process and would create a hazard to the safety of students
or school staff. 4. Hazing Policy The term “Hazing” as defined by
law means any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization,
whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly
endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person. Anyone who knows that another person is the
victim of hazing and is at the scene of such action shall report such action
to appropriate school personnel as soon as is reasonable and
practicable. Anyone who fails to
report such action shall be subject to suspension not only from school, but
also from the team for the remainder of the season 5. Due Process a. Suspension - Five Days or Less When a
school administrator imposes a suspension of a student for a period of up to
and including five (5) days, the following procedure shall apply:
2. Normally,
before a student is removed from the school, an informal hearing will be
afforded him/her before the Principal or Assistant Principal. At the hearing, the administrator
conducting it will inform the student of the charges against him/her and will
represent a fair summary of the evidence upon which the charge is based.
Shall
harass, coerce, intimidate or in any way compel students to incriminate
themselves or interrogate them against their will.
a). Immediately
suspend from school and remove from the premises a student whose conduct
disrupts the educational conduct of the school, endangers fellow students or
damages property. Except in cases of
disruption, where circumstances make it vital that one or several students be
removed from the school property immediately, no student shall be released
from school during the day without notifying the parent or guardian in person
or by telephone. In instances of
suspension where the student shall remain in school until regular closing
time, the parent or guardian if the student is under the age of 18 will be
notified of the suspension on the same date. b). Within
twenty-four (24) hours of the suspension, written notice containing reason(s)
therefore and length of suspension shall be given the student and the
parent(s) or guardian if the student is under the age of 18. Such notice shall be in spoken language of
the parent(s) or guardian. c). Within
seventy-two (72) hours of the suspension, the student, and the parent(s) or
guardian if the student is under the age of 18 shall be given the opportunity
to confer in person with the school administrator who imposed the
suspension. The purpose of this
conference shall be to discuss the student's school problem, to provide
opportunity for the student and the parent(s) or guardian to be heard in
opposition to the suspension and to provide conditions or means for the
student's return to school. The
administrator is not required to permit the presence of counsel or follow any
prescribed judicial rules in conducting this conference. d). The
maximum suspension, which may be imposed by a school administrator is five
(5) days. b. Suspension - Six to Ten Days When grounds for suspension are considered by the principal to be more
serious, he/she may recommend a suspension of six to ten (6 - 10) days to the
superintendent or his/her designee. In
such instances, the procedures specified for a suspension of five days or
less and the following procedure will be followed: 1. 1. The principal
or assistant principal shall notify the student or the parent(s) or guardian
if the student is under the age of 18 and the superintendent in writing
within twenty-four (24) hours of the suspension on the same date and the
recommendation to the superintendent for an extension of the suspension for
more five days. Such notice shall
describe the reason (s) for suspension and communication to the student,
parent(s) or guardian will be written in their spoken language. 2. 2. A
suspension of six to ten (6 - 10) days must be approved by the superintendent
or his/her designee. Within
seventy-two (72) hours of the extension of the suspension, the student and
the parent(s) or guardian if the student is under the age of 18 shall be
given the opportunity to confer in person with the superintendent or his/her
designee who imposed the suspension.
The purpose of this conference shall be to discuss the student's
school problem, to provide opportunity for the student and the parent(s) or
guardian to be heard in opposition to the suspension and to provide
conditions or means for the student's return to school. The superintendent is not required to
permit the presence of counsel or follow any prescribed judicial rules in conducting
this conference. 3. 3.
The maximum suspension, which may be
imposed by the superintendent is
ten (10) days.
When the superintendent recommends the suspension of a student in
excess of ten (10) days, the following procedure shall apply: 1. Whenever an incident occurs that may lead to
the suspension of a student, the principal or assistant principal shall
investigate the nature of the alleged incident. 2. Normally,
before a student is removed from the school, an informal hearing will be
afforded him/her before the Principal or Assistant Principal. At the hearing, the administrator
conducting it will inform the student of the charges against him/her and will
represent a fair summary of the evidence upon which the charge is based. 3. The student shall be given an opportunity to
be heard with respect to the alleged incident. However, no school employee shall harass,
coerce, intimidate or in any way compel students to incriminate themselves or
interrogate them against their will. 4. 4. In
cases in which, in the opinion of the Principal or Assistant Principal, the
nature of the act or occurrence is such that persons or property are
endangered or disruption of school operation is occurring or threatened, the
student will be removed from school immediately and the informal hearing will
take place as soon thereafter as practicable. 5. 5. The
principal or assistant principal shall immediately suspend from school and
remove from the premises a student whose conduct disrupts the educational conduct
of the school, endangers fellow students or damages property. Except in cases of disruption where
circumstance make it vital that one or several students be removed from the
school property immediately, no student shall be released from school during
the day without notifying the parent (s) or guardian in person or by
telephone. In instances of suspension
where the student shall remain in school until regular closing time, the
parent or guardian will be notified of the suspension on the same date. 1. 6. The
principal or assistant principal may suspend the student for five days and
make a recommendation to the superintendent that the suspension be extended for more than five days. He/she shall notify the student or the
parent(s) or guardian if the student is under the age of 18 and the
superintendent in writing within twenty-four (24) hours of the suspension
and/or recommendation on the same date.
Such notice shall describe the reason(s) for suspension and
communication to the student or parent(s) or guardian will be written in
their spoken language. 2. 7.
A suspension for more than five (5) days must
be approved in the first instance by the superintendent. 3. 8.
The superintendent may extend the
suspension for an additional five (5) days for a maximum total of ten (10)
days. 4. 9. Within
seventy-two (72) hours of the extension of the suspension, the student and
the parent(s) or guardian if the student is under the age of 18 shall be
given the opportunity to confer in person with the superintendent or his/her
designee who imposed the suspension.
The purpose of this conference shall be to discuss the student's
school problem, to provide opportunity for the student and the parent(s) or
guardian to be heard in opposition to the suspension and to provide
conditions or means for the student's return to school. The superintendent is not required to
permit the presence of counsel or follow any prescribed judicial rules in
conducting this conference. 10. If the superintendent believes that a suspension
should be for more then ten (10) days, he/she will refer the matter to the
School Committee. The School Committee
shall conduct a hearing, public or private at the selection of the student,
on or before the tenth school day after the initial suspension. 11. 11. The superintendent shall notify
the student or the parent(s) or guardian if the student is under the age of
18 of the extension of the suspension.
If the superintendent is recommending a suspension of more than ten (10)
days, he/she shall include in the notice a clear, written statement of the
reason for suspension, the date, time and place of the hearing before the
School Committee and of their right to be represented by counsel. Such notice shall be given at least
forty-eight (48) hours before such hearing. 12. 12. At the hearing, the School
Department may present evidence in support of the suspension and may present
and cross-examine witnesses. The
student, his/her attorney, parents or guardian may present evidence against
the suspension or the length thereof and or present and cross-examine
witnesses. It shall not be necessary
for the School Committee to follow the strict rules of evidence, but the
hearing shall be fair and afford the student the right to due process of
law. There shall be a complete and
accurate (stenographic or electronic) record of the hearing, including all
exhibits. 13. At the
completion of the hearing, the School Committee may uphold the suspension as
imposed, modify or amend it, or reduce it to a minimum of ten (10) days. The student shall be provided with a record
of the hearing (without cost) and a written copy of the School Committee
decision regarding the hearing. A copy
of the decision and record will be promptly forwarded to the Commissioner of
Education if there is an appeal to the Commissioner. d. Suspension Appeal Process 1. 1. The
principal or assistant principal shall notify the student or the parent(s) or
guardian if the student is under the age of 18 in writing within twenty-four hours
of the suspension. Such notice shall
describe the reason(s) for suspension and communication to the parent(s) or
guardian will be written in their spoken language. 2. 2. Within
seventy-two (72) hours of the suspension, the student, parent(s) or guardian
if the student is under the age of 18 shall be given the opportunity to
confer in person with the school administrator who imposed the
suspension. The purpose of this
conference shall be to discuss the student’s school problem, to provide
opportunity for the student and the parent(s) or guardian to be heard in
opposition to the suspension and to provide conditions or means for the
student’s return to school. The
administrator is not required to permit the presence of counsel or follow any
prescribed judicial rules in conducting this conference. 3. 3. The
student, parent(s) or guardian if the student is under the age of 18 may
appeal the principal’s decision to the Superintendent of Schools or his/her
designee by submitting a letter of appeal to the Superintendent. 4. 4. The
student or parent(s)or guardian if the student is
under the age of 18 may appeal the Superintendent’s decision to the School
Committee, which shall conduct a hearing, public or private at the selection
of the student. 5. 5. The
Superintendent shall notify the student or parent(s) or guardian if the
student is under the age of 18 of the date, time and place of such hearing
and of their right to be represented by counsel. Such notice shall be given at least
forty-eight (48) hours before such hearing. 6. 6. At the
hearing, the School Department may present evidence in support of the
suspension. The student may present
evidence against suspension or the length thereof. It shall not be necessary for the School
Committee to follow the strict rules of evidence, but the hearing shall be
fair and afford the student the right to due process of law. There shall be a complete and accurate
(stenographic or electronic) record of the hearing, including all exhibits. 7. 7. At the
completion of the hearing, the School Committee may uphold the suspension as
imposed or amend it. The student shall
be provided with a record of the hearing (without cost) and a written copy of
the School Committee decision regarding the hearing. 8. 8. A
student may appeal the action of the School Committee, or a school principal
as designee, to the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education who,
after notice to the parties interested of the time and place of the hearing,
shall examine and decide the appeal without cost to the parties involved. 9. 9. Any
decision of the Commissioner in these matters shall be subject to appeal by
the student to the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education. 10. 10. Any decision of the Board of Regents
may be appealed by the student to Superior Court. Academic Requirements for
Participation in COCURICULAR and EXTRACURRICULAR Activities A student is expected to meet
high academic standards to be eligible to participate in a cocurricular or extracurricular program including, but
not limited to, cheerleading, yearbook, newspaper, etc. and the
interscholastic athletics program. Any
student who has more than one (1) failing grade will not be eligible to
participate in any of these activities.
Additionally, students who participate in varsity or junior varsity
athletics must also pass physical education to be eligible to
participate. Eligibility is based on
the cumulative grades earned for each of the four quarterly marking
periods. A student who failed more
than one (1) course at the end of the previous marking period will be
academically ineligible for the current marking period. The marking period will be considered the
cumulative report card marks. PROHIBITION AGAINST BULLYING, HARASSMENT,
AND INTIMIDATION Prohibition Against Bullying Bullying is prohibited in the
Warwick Public Schools. For the purposes of this policy “bullying” refers to
harassment, intimidation or bullying. The prevention of bullying is part of
the district’s strategic plan. Definition of Bullying Bullying means an intentional
written, verbal or physical act or threat of a physical act that, under the
totality of circumstances: ¬
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a reasonable person should know will have
the effect of: physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property,
placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person, or placing
a student in reasonable fear of damage to his or her property; or ¬
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is sufficiently severe, persistent or
pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational
environment for a student. Bullying also occurs when a
student or a group of students organize a campaign of shunning against
another student or when a student or group of students maliciously spread
rumors about another student. In most
circumstances bullying does not include a mutual fight between two students
of roughly equal strength who are angry with each other. Such fights are subject to discipline as a
violation of school rules prohibiting fighting. Definition of “At School” In the context of this policy,
the phrase “at school” includes the following places and situations: ¬
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in a classroom, ¬
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elsewhere in the school, ¬
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on school property, |