March 2012

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Spring will soon be here and with it the renewal of promises to maintain routines aimed at accomplishing personal and scholastic goals! One of the challenges facing the Emerson Junior/Senior High school staff each day is to promote a wholesome and supportive learning atmosphere throughout the school year. While the warmer months provide opportunity for more causal dress and a relaxed attitude, please be reminded that there are still eleven more weeks of school. This correspondence will provide a review of some non-negotiable rules to ensure a happy, successful and safe ending to the school year.

In any school it is necessary that rules and regulations be established, and followed, for the safety and well-being of all. Cooperation between the home and school is essential if this goal is to be obtained and to derive maximum benefits from the educational program.

While cell phones and internet access are components of a post-modern twenty-first century lifestyle, their use/misuse can create a distraction from learning and attainment of goals. I recommend that Middle School children be provided with limited phone service capability for emergency contacts and that access to internet sites be actively monitored or denied in total. Middle School children do not have the maturity to use these tools with wisdom and can find themselves at the center of controversy with inappropriate cell phone and internet use. Emerson Board of Education Policy (5516) states that electronic communication devices are not permitted during school hours.

As the warmer weather approaches it is important for students to continue to arrive on time for school (7:45 am) and wear appropriate clothing that will not distract from the learning process. Keep in mind that Emerson Board of Education has adopted the following policies related to student attendance and dress.

Dress Code specifies:

The following apparel is not permitted:

1.    Bare midriff outfits, short blouses, or halters;

2.    Undergarments which are meant to be worn under an outer garment;

3.    Any clothing or wearing apparel which presents a danger of disruption to any student or damage to property;

4.    T-shirts without sleeves or which have an unacceptable message;

5.    Hats are not permitted to be worn during school hours inside the building by males and females;

6.    Flip-flops and beachwear sandals are not permitted due to safety reasons.

If it is determined that a student is wearing something that does not comply with the dress code, a parent/guardian will be called and asked to bring in an article of clothing that is acceptable.

Attendance:

District policy permits students to miss up to 12 “accumulative” class sessions in a year long course, 6 in a semester course and 3 in a quarter course.  Once the limit is reached, students receive no course credit regardless of class performance. Senior students must maintain good attendance to ensure participation in celebratory events, i.e., senior seminar, prom and graduation.

Please take the time to review these standards and expectations with your child and thank you for your support with their implementation. Please contact me should you have any questions regarding this correspondence.

On another note - SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS night is scheduled for Thursday, April 12^th at Emerson Jr.-Sr. High School. During the course of the evening your children and their teachers will be presenting lessons and activities representing grades 7-12. Additionally, student work will be on display throughout the building.

The program will begin at 7:00 p.m. and conclude at approximately 8:50 p.m. Whether you stop by a drama class to listen to a monologue, drop-in on a science lab experiment, or participate in a SMART board demonstration, the evening is always a wonderful experience for all. This night has been organized to enable you to see what goes on in your children’s classes or attend a class that your children might take in the future.

At present, students are being encouraged by their teachers to volunteer for the evening in at least one curricular area. Many of your children’s teachers will be present or working in collaborative teams demonstrating interdisciplinary initiatives for which Emerson is known state-wide. I’m sure you will leave this event reassured that Emerson is a great place to live and that the Middle/High School is a good school for learning. Please set aside time to join us at SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS night. 

I look forward to seeing you on April 12^th.

Sincerely,

Paula Valenti, Ed. D.

Principal

1. Morning Drop-off of Students – Students are expected to be in the building and at the classroom by 7:45 am daily. Parents who drive their children to school are strongly encouraged to drop students at the curb and/or at the crosswalk where a Crossing Guard is stationed to assist crossing the Main Street. Additionally, please adhere to the traffic flow patterns of the campus.
2. Illegal Left Hand Turn –Drivers who make illegal left hand turns out of the senior lot are driving against the flow of traffic. This is a dangerous practice that will result in loss of driving privileges. In addition, the Emerson police department will be notified and student drivers will be ticketed.
3. Illegal Parking- Parking in an unmarked space provides no room for student drivers to maneuver their vehicles in the student lot. Students who park in unmarked spaces will lose their driving privileges and will be referred to the Emerson Police Department for violation and ticketing.
4. Provisional Driver’s License-The members of the Emerson Police Department, with the approval of the Superintendent of Schools, will conduct random unannounced campus checks of student drivers/cars with regard to the holding of a Provisional License(39:3-13.4)