ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Classes begin at 7:30 a.m. and remain in session until 2:30 p.m. each school day unless the day’s schedule is altered because of inclement weather.
All students should plan to arrive at school between 7:00 and 7:20 a.m. If students are not in their classrooms by 7:30, they are considered TARDY and will be assigned appropriate discipline if the tardy is unexcused. All students arriving after 7:30 a.m. are required to sign in at the Main Office and receive a tardy slip to class.
ATHLETICS
Eligibility: No student shall be eligible to compete during any school year if the student becomes 15 years of age on or before August 1 of any year. A 7th grade student who turns 14 before August 1 may participate on the 8th grade level but will become ineligible due to age in the 8th grade. Students who are retained in either the 7th or 8th grade are not eligible to participate on any athletic team for that retention/placement year. Students who were socially promoted may become eligible at the end of the first semester.
CLASS CUTTING
Students should report to their assigned class each period. Students who are absent from an assigned class without prior approval of the office or the assigned teacher will be considered cutting class and will be subject to disciplinary action. Only the teacher to whom the student is assigned may excuse that student from class for that period. Teachers are required to report to the office all students who are absent from their class without prior approval. Some reasons that will not be accepted for being absent from class are:
Being sick in the restroom without first notifying a teacher.
Staying in the restroom with a sick or distraught friend unless directed to do so by a teacher.
Reporting to another teacher or staff member to whose class the student is not assigned.
Looking for a lost item.
AWARDS
Honors Day is a program of recognition for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students for outstanding achievements in academics, enrichment classes, athletics, and attendance. Students can earn awards through many of their experiences at Tennessee Middle School. Awards are presented for each of the academic areas, service, attendance, and school and conference athletic awards. Academic teams also honor students with awards specific to their team.
CELL PHONES/SMART WATCHES/ELECTRONIC DEVICES
School Board Policy and Tennessee Middle School rules allow personal communication devices in school. Students are not to use their phones unless specific directions from a staff member allow their use. The devices must be in the student’s backpack and must be powered off upon entering the building and until they exit the building. Teachers may confiscate a student’s cell phone for the duration of a class period and then return the phone directly to the student. If the device is turned in to the office, in-school suspension may be assigned. The taking of photos or the recording of videos, whether by cell phone or any other device, in places where privacy is a reasonable expectation is strictly prohibited.
ABSOLUTELY NO CELL PHONE USE IN LOCKER ROOMS! Using cell phone cameras to record altercations on school grounds or at school events is prohibited. In such cases, phones may be confiscated as evidence and consequences will be assigned. Smart watches will be considered a phone if being used as a phone.
COMPETITIONS
Students can participate in academic competitions. Many start with classroom-level competitions, grade or school- wide events with the possibility of regional and state levels. Examples of class-related competitions include, but are not limited to, the following: Public Speaking Contest Essays sponsored by various organizations, Spelling Bee, Geography Bee, Battle of the Books
Discipline- Students maybe assigned detention, ISS, OSS, or Pride as a means of disciplinary action.
APPEALS PROCEDURES
All appeals must be submitted in writing, within five (5) days after receipt of the notice of suspension and maybe filed by the parent or guardian, the student or any person holding a teaching license who is employed by the school system if requested by the student
FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
We are authorized to withhold academic records of a student who has taken property which belongs to a local education agency…” Students with outstanding financial obligations (laptops/bag/power cords, library obligations, fundraisers, etc.) will have all academic records “frozen” until such obligations are met.
FUNDRAISING
Periodically, school groups conduct fund-raising activities. The PTA, clubs, band, chorus, student council, teams, or other school organizations may conduct these activities in accordance with School Board Policy. Fund raising is not a required activity, and students participate by choice only. However, students who assume the responsibility for fund raising by pre- selling or by taking items to sell directly are financially obligated and will be held accountable for the items taken or all monies generated through these activities. By state law, all money raised through fundraisers in the name of the school or any organization thereof must be used for the purpose intended or will remain in the organization’s budget for future use.
LOST AND FOUND
Students are asked to put their names on all personal items. Items found on campus and in the building are put in storage boxes outside the office and kept there until claimed or until the end of each nine weeks,
when they are offered to students or donated to local charitable organizations. Identifiable items are returned to the student as soon as possible. Parents/guardians may check for lost items at any time.
MAKE-UP WORK
Work missed during an absence will be made up AFTER the absence. On the third day of an absence, Parents/guardians may request that any written assignments be sent to the guidance office for pick up after school. Most assignments can be obtained by the students from Canvas or students may email teachers directly. Grades from days missed due to unexcused absences will be graded at 80%. In addition, unexcused absences will be handled as a truancy issue.
Following an absence, it is the responsibility of the student or parent to contact the teacher and make up all work missed. Arrangements will be made within three days following the absence.
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS (including Athletic Events)
During the school year, there may be functions that provide both social and educational opportunities for students. The following rules have been developed and will be enforced at each of these functions:
Only Tennessee Middle students will be allowed to attend (exception: all sports events).
Students (or visitors at athletic contests) who exhibit behavior problems may not be allowed to attend or may be removed at any time.
Regular school rules and regulations apply at all times.
Students may not enter the event after the first 30 minutes of starting time unless accompanied by a parent (except for sports events).
Loitering outside the building will not be tolerated.
Students may not leave the event early unless a parent comes to pick up the student.
If a student is suspended (OSS) the day of an athletic event, a practice, or any other social activity, the student will not be allowed to attend the event. This includes athletes and student spectators.