Student Handbook - Harford County Public Schools
Student Handbook - Harford County Public Schools
Student Handbook - Harford County Public Schools
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2012-2013<br />
Parent-<strong>Student</strong><br />
<strong>Handbook</strong> & Calendar
<strong>Handbook</strong> Table of Contents<br />
Board of Educaon Informaon ........................................................................................................................................... 1<br />
List of Board Members<br />
2012-2013 Board Business Meeng Schedule<br />
How to Contact the Board of Educaon<br />
About HCPS .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2<br />
Superintendent’s Pen<br />
Mission & Vision Statements<br />
HCPS Teacher of the Year<br />
School Informaon .............................................................................................................................................................. 3<br />
Hours of Operaon<br />
Alternave Educaon<br />
Communicaon<br />
Elementary School<br />
Food & Nutrion<br />
Grading ................................................................................................................................................................... 4<br />
Health Services Program<br />
High School<br />
Home & Hospital Instrucon................................................................................................................................... 5<br />
Inclement Weather Policy<br />
Homework............................................................................................................................................................... 6<br />
Internet Use in <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Medicaons<br />
Middle <strong>Schools</strong> ........................................................................................................................................................ 7<br />
Resolving School Concerns<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Services ..................................................................................................................................................... 8<br />
Volunteering & Vising <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Board of Educaon Policy Informaon................................................................................................................................. 9<br />
Aendance<br />
Aendance Areas ................................................................................................................................................... 11<br />
Child Abuse/Neglect<br />
Facility Informaon<br />
Immunizaon Requirements .................................................................................................................................. 13<br />
Privacy Rights of Parents & <strong>Student</strong>s ..................................................................................................................... 14<br />
Rights & Responsibilies of <strong>Student</strong>s .................................................................................................................... 15<br />
Safe <strong>Schools</strong> ........................................................................................................................................................... 16<br />
Special Educaon ................................................................................................................................................... 18<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Discipline<br />
<strong>Student</strong>-Parent Survey to Idenfy Federally Connected <strong>Student</strong>s ......................................................................... 20<br />
Transportaon ....................................................................................................................................................... 21<br />
Title IX Complaint Procedures ............................................................................................................................... 22<br />
Wellness Policy<br />
Phone Directory ................................................................................................................................................................. 23<br />
2012-2013 Calendar ........................................................................................................................................................... 24<br />
2013-2014 Calendar ........................................................................................................................................................... 49<br />
Map of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> ...................................................................................................................................................... 50
Board of Education of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
MEMBERS<br />
Leonard D. Wheeler, Ed.D.<br />
President,<br />
Appointed Member-at-Large<br />
Francis F. “Rick” Grambo, III<br />
Vice President,<br />
Elected Member,<br />
Councilmanic District D<br />
Alysson L. Krchnavy<br />
Appointed Member-at-Large<br />
Nancy Reynolds<br />
Appointed Member-at-Large<br />
Joseph A. Hau<br />
Appointed Member-at-Large<br />
Board of Education <strong>Public</strong> Meetings<br />
Regular meengs of the Board of Educaon are normally held on the second<br />
and fourth Monday of each month (except July and August) at 6:30 p.m.<br />
All meengs are announced in advance on the HCPS website and in other<br />
print/electronic media. Meengs are open to the public, unless otherwise<br />
announced, and aendance is encouraged for those with an interest in<br />
business operaons of the school system. If you are unable to aend the<br />
meengs, watch them live via streaming video on the school system’s<br />
website.<br />
Each regular, public business meeng of the Board includes a public comment<br />
period. Any cizen, group representave, parent or student may make a<br />
statement regarding an item on a past, present or future Board open-session<br />
agenda, or a maer of general policy over which the Board has jurisdicon. To<br />
find out how to register to speak at an upcoming meeng, visit<br />
www.hcps.org.<br />
Stay connected to the Board of Educaon news. A summary of acon items<br />
and presentaons are posted aer every meeng on www.hcps.org. Click on<br />
the “In the Loop” link on the home page of our website.<br />
MEETING SCHEDULE<br />
ALL MEETINGS BEGIN AT 6:30 P.M. MEETING DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.<br />
James D. Thornton<br />
Appointed Member-at-Large<br />
Robert L. Frisch<br />
Elected Member,<br />
Councilmanic District A<br />
Cassandra R. Beverley, Esq.<br />
Elected Member,<br />
Councilmanic District B<br />
Panashe I. Mutombo<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Representave<br />
2012<br />
September 10<br />
September 24<br />
October 8<br />
October 22<br />
November 5<br />
November 19<br />
December 3<br />
December 17<br />
2013<br />
January 14<br />
January 28<br />
February 11<br />
February 25<br />
March 11<br />
March 25<br />
April 8<br />
April 22<br />
May 13<br />
May 28<br />
June 10<br />
June 24<br />
July 15<br />
August 12<br />
Robert M. Tomback, Ph.D.<br />
Secretary-Treasurer,<br />
Superintendent of <strong>Schools</strong><br />
For correspondence directed to the Board, write President, Board of Educaon of <strong>Harford</strong><br />
<strong>County</strong>, 102 S. Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, Maryland 21014. In addion to the live stream archive<br />
on the school system website, Board Business meengs will be televised on a tape delay basis by<br />
HCN on the second and fourth Tuesdays beginning at 8:00 p.m. on Comcast channel 21, Verizon<br />
FiOS channel 31 and Armstrong (formerly Clearview) channel 7 and can be viewed on demand by<br />
logging onto our website (www.hcps.org).<br />
Visit www.hcps.org and view “Hot Topics” on the right-hand side to send the Board your thoughts on current topics!<br />
Board of Educaon members listed above as of July 1, 2012. For updated informaon on the Board of Educaon, visit hp://www.hcps.org/BOE/Default.aspx.<br />
1
About <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Approximately 38,000 students are enrolled in <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong>’s public schools. The school<br />
system has the eighth largest student enrollment of the 24 public school systems in Maryland.<br />
Approximately 5,500 people are employed by the school system to provide the necessary<br />
educaonal programs and supporng services for the students.<br />
Currently, in the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> public school system, there are 33 elementary schools, nine<br />
middle schools, nine comprehensive high schools, the John Archer School (a special school for<br />
students with disabilies), <strong>Harford</strong> Technical High School and the Alternave Educaon Program<br />
-- making a total of 54 schools.<br />
Based upon firm beliefs in the value of youth and the obligaons of public educaon to educate<br />
each of them effecvely, the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> public school system provides comprehensive<br />
instruconal programs and related student acvies for the youth who are currently enrolled.<br />
Prekindergarten classes are available for four-year-olds at 19 of the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> public<br />
elementary schools. A system-wide kindergarten program begins public educaon for the fiveyear-olds<br />
with all 33 elementary schools offering all-day kindergarten. A carefully planned and<br />
appropriately sequenced curriculum extends learning from the primary and intermediate grades<br />
of elementary, middle and high school grades toward graduaon. Special programs and services<br />
are provided to accommodate the unique needs of each student, including those who possess<br />
exceponal abilies, talents, and/or disabilies.<br />
Mission<br />
The mission of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> is to promote excellence in instruconal leadership<br />
and teaching and to provide facilies and instruconal materials that support teaching and<br />
learning for the 21st century. The <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> Board of Educaon will support this mission by<br />
fostering a climate for deliberate change and monitoring progress through measurable indicators.<br />
Vision<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> will be a community of learners in which our public schools,<br />
families, public officials, businesses, community organizaons, and other cizens work<br />
collaboravely to prepare all of our students to succeed academically and socially in a diverse,<br />
democrac, change-oriented, and global society.<br />
HCPS 2012-13 Teacher of the Year<br />
Chrisna O’Neill has served the students, staff and community of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
for the last 18 years. She has served as a teacher, reading specialist, literacy leader<br />
and volunteer with HCPS. Mrs. O’Neill earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English<br />
from the College of Notre Dame in 1993, a Masters of Educaon from Loyola<br />
College in 1997 and administrave cerficaon from Towson University in 2003. At<br />
the local, state, and naonal levels, she has presented on issues related to leading<br />
and learning, school improvement and state assessments. Currently, Mrs. O’Neill<br />
is a member of the Instruconal Leadership and School Improvement teams at Bel<br />
Air Middle School. She volunteers her me and resources to iniate school-based<br />
service learning projects such as a leer wring campaign to the United States<br />
Military, collecng items for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and parcipang<br />
in the American Heart Associaon’s Hoops for Heart iniave. Mrs. O’Neill also organizes a book breakfast<br />
for the enre Bel Air Middle School staff in January, giving teachers a chance to share and exchange<br />
current books, create reading profiles to engage students as readers and donate books to women’s<br />
shelters and other organizaons. In addion to her role in the classroom, Mrs. O’Neill teaches Sunday<br />
school at her church and serves as a parent liaison for the Monkton Country Day Care Center. Visit www.<br />
hcps.org for details on the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> Teacher of the Year program and don’t forget to<br />
check out Mrs. O’Neill’s blog!<br />
Superintendent’s Pen<br />
Dear Community:<br />
This handbook is published<br />
each year to provide parents,<br />
students, and employees of<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />
with essenal informaon. It<br />
includes the school system<br />
rules and regulaons, school<br />
calendar, and other pernent<br />
informaon, as well as artwork<br />
by some of our outstanding<br />
students. I trust you will find<br />
the contents of this handbook<br />
to be informave and useful.<br />
Included in this handbook<br />
are instrucons on how to<br />
get answers to quesons<br />
or concerns that may arise.<br />
Addional assistance may be<br />
obtained by calling<br />
410-838-7300 and by logging<br />
on to the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong><br />
<strong>Schools</strong> website at www.hcps.<br />
org. Also, the school system and<br />
individual schools will connue<br />
to employ a rapid telephone<br />
noficaon system this year<br />
to convey emergency and<br />
other important informaon<br />
to parents. The school system<br />
will also connue an email<br />
informaon system which<br />
you can opt into by lisng a<br />
valid email address on the<br />
emergency card that comes<br />
home with your child on the<br />
first day of school or ulizing<br />
our new parent portal. More<br />
informaon on the email, text,<br />
and phone system may be<br />
obtained by logging on to our<br />
website.<br />
I wish your child and you a<br />
successful 2012-2013 school<br />
year.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Robert M. Tomback, Ph.D.<br />
Superintendent of <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Items listed in this handbook are subject to change without noce aer the July 1, 2012 prinng date.<br />
2
School Information<br />
The following informaon is school-based pracces, policies and informaon. For more informaon visit, www.hcps.org.<br />
HOURS OF OPERATION<br />
STARTING TIME<br />
DISMISSAL<br />
High <strong>Schools</strong> 7:30 a.m. 2:00 p.m.<br />
Middle <strong>Schools</strong>* 8:15 a.m. 2:45 p.m.<br />
Elementary <strong>Schools</strong>** 9:00 a.m. 3:30 p.m.<br />
John Archer 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.<br />
Prekindergarten a.m. session*** 9:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m.<br />
Prekindergarten p.m. session*** 1:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m.<br />
* North <strong>Harford</strong> Middle School will connue to operate on the same schedule as North <strong>Harford</strong> High School.<br />
** Havre de Grace, William S. James, and Deerfield elementary schools will operate on the 4th er busing schedule, 9:30 a.m. unl 4:00 p.m.<br />
*** 4th er busing schedule for prekindergarten, 9:30 a.m. - noon; 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.<br />
ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION<br />
A program of alternave educaon is provided at the Center for<br />
Educaonal Opportunity. Secondary school students who have longterm<br />
suspensions from school are eligible to enroll in the alternave<br />
educaon program and will receive credit for sasfactorily completed<br />
work. In addion, secondary school students whose educaonal,<br />
emoonal, financial, physical or other needs are such that they<br />
cannot be met in the regular school program are eligible to apply for<br />
admission to the alternave program.<br />
COMMUNICATION<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> is commied to parental, family and<br />
community involvement in the educaonal process. <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> encourages two-way communicaon and strives to keep<br />
the public informed about issues affecng its schools, decisions made by<br />
the Board of Educaon of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> and student acvies through<br />
various methods of regular communicaon.<br />
Rapid Noficaon System<br />
New this year, <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> will launch the<br />
Blackboard Connect 5 phone noficaon system. Parents will now be<br />
able to manage contact informaon and noficaon preferences by<br />
ulizing the Parent Portal. Parent’s can access the new Parent Portal<br />
by vising www.hcps.org.<br />
More informaon and Parent Portal instrucons can be found on the<br />
school system website.<br />
Website & Social Media<br />
The school system’s website, www.hcps.org, offers informaon to<br />
meet the needs of parents, students, staff and the general community.<br />
The “Parents” tab at the top of the homepage includes links to useful<br />
informaon such as registraon informaon, brochures, immunizaon<br />
requirements, academic programs and calendars, as well as athlec<br />
and arts informaon. This page serves as a quick resource to the mostrequested<br />
informaon for you.<br />
Android and iPhone users should check out our mobile site for<br />
announcements, downloadable calendars for smartphone users and<br />
quick links.<br />
Follow us on Facebook, Twier and LinkedIn.<br />
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> offers a wide variety of programs<br />
at the elementary<br />
level including gied<br />
educaon, summer<br />
school and instrumental<br />
music. We have<br />
prekindergarten<br />
programs in 19 of our<br />
elementary schools<br />
designed to meet the<br />
needs of at-risk students.<br />
There are 21 before<br />
and aer school on-site<br />
daycare centers available for the community. All of our kindergarten<br />
programs are full-day. For more detailed informaon on elementary<br />
school offerings in your aendance area, please visit individual school<br />
Edline pages on www.hcps.org.<br />
FOOD & NUTRITION<br />
School food prices are subject to change pending an annual review of<br />
revenue/expenses.<br />
All <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> conduct breakfast and lunch<br />
programs. Menus are distributed through the schools, published in local<br />
newspapers, announced over local radio and television staons, and are<br />
on the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> website (www.hcps.org). The cost<br />
of lunch appears on the menu and is subject to change.<br />
Parcipaon in the Federal Government School Food & Nutrion<br />
Program has also made it possible to provide some <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> students with free or reduced price meals. Applicaon<br />
forms and guidelines for determining a student’s eligibility to receive<br />
free or reduced price meals are distributed to each child in August. One<br />
applicaon can be completed for the enre household when all family<br />
members are listed. Applicaons for the program are available in school<br />
offices and parents may apply for benefits at any me during the school<br />
year.<br />
Cafeterias are equipped with computers, which allow parents to deposit<br />
money which may be specified for prepaid breakfasts, lunches, or snack<br />
items. Deposits can be made directly to the cafeteria staff or online at<br />
the following website: www.cafeprepay.com.<br />
If you do not designate whether your deposit is for a specific amount<br />
of breakfasts, lunches, or a specific dollar amount for a la carte, then<br />
3
the deposit goes into the “on account” category and can be used for<br />
any of the three purchases.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s using personal idenficaon numbers (PIN) can withdraw<br />
money for food purchases.<br />
GRADING<br />
<strong>Student</strong> progress is formally reported to parents in November,<br />
February, April, and June (at the end of the school year). In addion,<br />
teachers communicate with parents informally by means of<br />
conferences, leers, emails and telephone calls. The Edline online<br />
system is used to communicate progress of secondary students through<br />
the use of an assigned PIN number.<br />
No report card is issued in November to elementary school children.<br />
Instead, a conference is scheduled for parents and teachers so that<br />
they may discuss each child’s rate of progress, expected standards for<br />
learning and discipline, school curriculum, and school goals. Elementary<br />
school students receive report cards in February, April, and June.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s in grades six through 12 receive report cards at the end of<br />
each of the four marking periods.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and grades one and two<br />
receive a non-graded report card. In grades three, four and five, leer<br />
grades are used to indicate the level of student progress in integrated<br />
language arts, social studies, science, and mathemacs. Art, music,<br />
media, and physical educaon are marked consistently evident, evident<br />
or not assessed. Handwring and 17 habits and atudes listed on the<br />
report card, are marked S (sasfactory) or N (needs improvement).<br />
Progress at the secondary level is recorded by means of the leer<br />
grades A, B, C, D, or E.<br />
HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM<br />
The Health Services Program is an integral part of the educaonal<br />
support system and maximizes every student’s learning potenal by<br />
promong his or her opmum health. Each school is assigned a school<br />
nurse. Please contact your child’s school to speak to the nurse.<br />
HIGH SCHOOL<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> has ten high schools that offer a variety<br />
of instruconal and extracurricular programs. The following informaon<br />
is specific to students.<br />
SUBJECT<br />
DIPLOMA<br />
English 4<br />
Social Studies + 3<br />
Science ^ 3<br />
Mathemacs ++ 4<br />
Fine Arts 1<br />
Technology Educaon 1<br />
Physical Educaon 1<br />
Health 1/2<br />
Career Pathway 4<br />
Foreigh Language OR Advanced Technology<br />
OR Successful Compleon of State Approved<br />
career or tech program<br />
Elecve 1/2 - 2 1/2<br />
TOTAL 26<br />
2<br />
4<br />
+ 1 in World History, 1 in U.S. History, 1 in Local, State and<br />
Naonal Government<br />
++ 1 with fundamental or advanced algebraic concepts; 1 with<br />
fundamental or advanced geometric concepts<br />
^ Must include one credit in Biology<br />
Graduaon Requirements (For the class of 2013)<br />
Addional Requirements:<br />
• English courses in grades nine, ten, and eleven must be taken<br />
sequenally and a student may not enroll in the next grade level<br />
unl he/she has passed the preceding one. The excepon is English<br />
12, which may be taken simultaneously with English 11, during the<br />
senior year.<br />
• Eighth graders are given the opon of registering for the Maryland<br />
State Scholars program. Check with a local high school counselor<br />
for more informaon.<br />
• To be eligible for a high school diploma, all students must<br />
complete the Maryland State Department of Educaon student<br />
service learning requirements as developed by <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>.<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s must pass the applicable Maryland High School<br />
Assessment (HSA) at the end of the course in English 2, Algebra 1,<br />
and biology, with a combined score of 1208, in order to receive a<br />
Maryland high school diploma.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s have the following alternaves to meet the High School<br />
Assessment (HSA) graduaon requirements:<br />
• If students do not pass all three tests, they may sasfy the HSA<br />
requirement using the combined-score opon. The combined<br />
score for all three tests must be 1208. If students have taken<br />
government HSA, they have the opon of meeng graduaon<br />
requirements by meeng the combined score on all four tests of<br />
1602 or on the three test with a combined score of 1208, in order<br />
to receive a Maryland high school diploma.<br />
• Modified HSAs with altered test items are available for a small<br />
poron of students with disabilies.<br />
• The Bridge Plan for Academic Validaon is for students who<br />
have been unable to pass one or more HSAs, despite assistance.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s must meet three general eligibility criteria: taken<br />
and failed the test at least twice, parcipaon in appropriate<br />
assistance, and sasfactory progress toward graduaon. <strong>Student</strong>s<br />
eligible for parcipaon will meet with school staff to determine<br />
the projects to be included in the student’s Academic Validaon<br />
Project Package.<br />
4
Excepons To The Regular High School Program<br />
Under certain circumstances, students may waive a fourth year of high<br />
school aendance. Upon receiving permission from the school principal<br />
and the superintendent of schools, a student may be awarded a diploma<br />
aer acceptance and/or successful compleon of one year of college or<br />
post-secondary educaon.<br />
In addion to the regular school program, students may earn credits by<br />
aending summer school or the Alternave Educaon Program.<br />
Seniors may receive approval from the principal and the execuve director<br />
of high school performance to earn one addional credit beyond the<br />
credits earned during the regular school day.<br />
Quesons concerning “excepons to the regular high school program”<br />
should be directed to the high school counseling office.<br />
High School Eligibility Policy<br />
In order to parcipate in curricular and extracurricular acvies in any<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> public school, students shall be officially registered and<br />
physically aending a <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> public school. A student may be<br />
declared ineligible to parcipate in extracurricular acvies for reasons<br />
based on scholasc status and/or cizenship. A student will be declared<br />
ineligible when the<br />
student has received<br />
a failing grade in<br />
any subject on a<br />
quarterly report<br />
card. For a complete<br />
lisng of eligibility<br />
rules, please refer<br />
to individual school<br />
handbooks.<br />
Magnet Programs<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> offers four magnet programs for incoming<br />
high school freshman:<br />
• The Internaonal Baccalaureate Organizaon (IBO) at Edgewood High<br />
School<br />
• The Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences Magnet (NRAS) at<br />
North <strong>Harford</strong> High School<br />
• <strong>Harford</strong> Technical High School<br />
• Science and Mathemacs Academy (SMA) at Aberdeen High School<br />
An open house is hosted at each school offering students and parents an indepth<br />
look at the specific magnet program offered at the school. They have<br />
an opportunity to hear more about the program in general, meet teachers,<br />
students and parents currently involved with the Magnet Program, and see<br />
the school facilies. Open house dates are typically scheduled in the fall<br />
and will be posted on www.hcps.org.<br />
Each prospecve student must complete an applicaon for entrance<br />
into any <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> magnet program. Want more<br />
informaon? Watch the overview videos and discover more on each<br />
program at our website, www.hcps.org.<br />
HOME & HOSPITAL INSTRUCTION<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s who cannot aend school for a minimum of 20 consecuve days,<br />
due to verified physical or emoonal condion, may apply for short - term<br />
Home/Hospital Teachers Services. If approved, a home teacher is assigned.<br />
A licensed physician, cerfied school or licensed psychologist, or licensed<br />
psychiatrist must sign the applicaon, which is available from the <strong>Student</strong><br />
Services office. For more informaon, contact <strong>Student</strong> Services at<br />
410-588-5334.<br />
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY<br />
All public schools in <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> will be closed on<br />
days when roads, school parking lots, and/or school<br />
driveways/walkways are considered to be unsafe for school bus<br />
transportaon/student, staff use. The decision to close is made by<br />
the superintendent of schools as early as possible on the morning<br />
in queson. In the vast majority of cases, this is prior to 6:00 a.m.<br />
The determinaon is made aer consulng with the state police,<br />
the sheriff’s office, the state and county highway departments,<br />
and other sources of informaon in different parts of the county.<br />
Some weather condions make it advisable to delay the opening<br />
me of schools.<br />
• If schools are delayed one hour, morning half-day<br />
prekindergarten will start at 10:00 a.m.; aernoon half-day<br />
prekindergarten will proceed as originally scheduled.<br />
• If schools are delayed two hours there will be no morning<br />
half-day prekindergarten or early intervenon programs;<br />
aernoon half-day prekindergarten will proceed as<br />
originally scheduled. (All mes will be a half hour later for<br />
fourth er busing schools.)<br />
• If elementary schools have a scheduled teachers’ planning<br />
early dismissal and there is a two-hour delay due to<br />
inclement weather, students will NOT be dismissed early<br />
but will remain in school for the regular school day.<br />
Any change from the normal school schedule as a result of<br />
inclement weather - snow, ice, heat, etc. - will be communicated<br />
through our rapid telephone noficaon system, email, Twier,<br />
Facebook and on radio and television broadcasts to the public.<br />
In addion, closings will be listed on the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong><br />
<strong>Schools</strong> website at www.hcps.org.<br />
Parents have the right not to send their children to school if they<br />
feel travel condions are unsafe. The student will be marked as<br />
lawfully absent.<br />
The announcement will be made only when schools will be<br />
closed or when there are delayed openings or early closings. No<br />
telephone calls or media announcements will be made when<br />
schools are open as usual.<br />
In order to keep school telephone lines open for emergency calls,<br />
parents are urged not to call the school concerning the possibility<br />
of early closures. This informaon will be reported as soon as<br />
possible using the communicaon vehicles listed above.<br />
The school system website is always kept up-to-date with school/<br />
school system delays, closures and early dismissals.<br />
www.hcps.org<br />
NOTE: This calendar contains the potenal for 188 student<br />
days -- eight more than the state minimum requirement of 180<br />
days. If schools are closed eight days or more due to emergency<br />
condions, weather related or otherwise, it may be necessary<br />
to alter the school calendar. The calendar may be reduced if<br />
emergency days are not needed to meet the state mandated<br />
minimum required days.<br />
5
HOMEWORK<br />
Properly planned homework assignments should relate directly to class<br />
work and extend learning beyond the classroom. Effecve homework<br />
assignments teach students to become independent learners. While<br />
it is recognized that student achievement improves significantly when<br />
teachers regularly assign homework and students conscienously<br />
complete assignments, homework has other important purposes.<br />
Homework provides the students valuable experiences in following<br />
direcons, making judgments, raising addional quesons for study,<br />
and developing responsibility and self-discipline.<br />
Addionally, homework is a means to communicate with parents<br />
regarding current class acvies and topics of study.<br />
1. Appropriateness of Homework<br />
Homework should be appropriate to the age, ability, and<br />
independent level of students. <strong>Student</strong> characteriscs including<br />
grade level, movaon, and study habits must be considered.<br />
2. Assignment Characteriscs and Inial Classroom Factors<br />
Teachers should ensure that students understand the purpose of<br />
each homework assignment. The amount of homework, the skills<br />
to be reinforced, and compleon deadlines influence student<br />
outcomes.<br />
3. Types of Assignments<br />
Taking into consideraon the direcons that students need in<br />
order to successfully complete their homework, it is reasonable<br />
to expect that assignments can extend learning beyond the<br />
classroom in a number of ways. Types of assignments may include<br />
the following:<br />
a. The PRACTICE assignment reinforces previous learning<br />
and should be adapted to the ability and progress of each<br />
student.<br />
b. EXTENSION assignments allow students to go beyond<br />
memorizaon of content and provide for the transfer of<br />
learning to a new situaon which requires students to apply<br />
previously learned skills.<br />
c. CREATIVE assignments ask students to integrate skills and<br />
concepts in order to generate a new response.<br />
d. REVIEW assignments enable students to clarify concepts and<br />
to gain an overview of material that has been taught.<br />
4. Approximate Hours for Homework Compleon<br />
At the primary level, homework should collecvely range from<br />
two to three hours weekly but not exceed one-half hour a<br />
night. At the intermediate level, homework should collecvely<br />
range from three to five hours weekly but not exceed forty-five<br />
minutes a night. In the middle school, homework me should<br />
approximate a collecve range from four to eight hours weekly<br />
but not more than two hours per night. High school homework<br />
me should collecvely range from five to 12 hours weekly<br />
but not more than three hours per night. Teachers should use<br />
these me approximaons as a reference when considering<br />
homework assignments. In addion, teachers should be mindful<br />
that students who are accountable to more than one teacher will<br />
have homework from more than one subject or class. Homework<br />
may be assigned over weekends. <strong>Student</strong>s desiring to take<br />
Honors level and/or AP courses should be highly movated and<br />
commied to excellence. <strong>Student</strong>s will be required to do a great<br />
deal of reading, wring, and higher-level problem solving in these<br />
rigorous courses. <strong>Student</strong>s may also be required to complete<br />
assignments given over the summer vacaon.<br />
5. Holiday homework is not to be assigned over holidays when<br />
public schools are closed.<br />
6. Classroom Follow-up<br />
Teachers must consistently monitor and assess homework<br />
assignments. In addion to tesng related content or using<br />
assignments in class discussions, feedback should be provided in<br />
the form of wrien comments, grades, or incenves.<br />
INTERNET USE IN SCHOOLS<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> provides telecommunicaons resources<br />
to its students for educaonal purposes: the acquision of informaon/<br />
resources, communicaons and collaboraon with experts, and career<br />
development acvies. Telecommunicaons resources shall be used in<br />
accordance with the educaonal goals of the school system.<br />
<strong>Student</strong> use of the resources provided shall be under the direct<br />
supervision of the teacher and shall be instruconally related.<br />
Reasonable precauons will be taken to ensure that the Internet is<br />
a safe learning environment for students. <strong>Student</strong>s will be expected<br />
to demonstrate responsible and ethical behavior in the use of the<br />
resources.<br />
Access to the Internet through the telecommunicaons resources<br />
will only be granted to users who follow the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong><br />
<strong>Schools</strong> Acceptable Use and Internet Safety Policy for <strong>Student</strong>s and the<br />
procedures for such use. These policies are published on the <strong>Harford</strong><br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> website (www.hcps.org).<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> ulizes an outside Internet filtering<br />
company to ensure the safety of our students while they access the<br />
Internet. The use of this filter system also allows <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> to comply with the Child Internet Protecon Act (CIPA).<br />
Although the web filtering product ulizes the most innovave and<br />
cung edge technology, it is sll possible for students to access specific<br />
websites should students seek them with intenon and purpose.<br />
Therefore, the only way a parent can be completely assured his or her<br />
child will not be able to access inappropriate material is to opt-out of<br />
Internet use at school. Your school can help you with this process.<br />
MEDICATIONS<br />
When a student is taking a prescribed medicaon, parents/guardians<br />
should make every effort to arrange for the medicine to be taken outside<br />
of the school day. However, there are occasions when it is determined by<br />
a health care provider that a student must receive prescribed medicaon<br />
during the school day, either on a regular schedule or in the event of an<br />
emergency. When this circumstance occurs, the following guidelines apply:<br />
• All medicaon must be accompanied by a wrien health care<br />
provider’s order. These instrucons must contain the student’s<br />
name, name of the medicaon, the route of administraon,<br />
the exact dosage, me and circumstances of administraon,<br />
length of me the medicaon is to be connued, reason for<br />
6
administraon, health care provider’s name, me and frequency<br />
of administraon and date of order. Parents/guardians must<br />
also provide wrien authorizaon to administer medicaon to<br />
their child. For your convenience, a form is available from the<br />
school nurse. No medicaon may be administered to a student<br />
without the required health care provider’s order and parent/<br />
guardian permission. Faxed medicaon orders are acceptable.<br />
In some circumstances, orders wrien on health care provider’s<br />
leerhead or prescripon pad is acceptable.<br />
• The parent/guardian should give the first dose of any new<br />
prescripon or over the counter medicaon at home (except for<br />
emergency medicaon, e.g. Epi-Pen®).<br />
• Medicaon must be in its original prescripon bole, properly<br />
labeled by the pharmacy. Pharmacies can provide a second<br />
labeled bole to accommodate medicaons that are given at<br />
school. Siblings may not share medicaon.<br />
• Discreonary medicaons are available for occasional use only to<br />
students who have a signed permission slip on file in the health<br />
suite. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, diphenhydramine, antacid<br />
tablets and cough drops may be administered under the ordered<br />
protocols of the physician from the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> Health<br />
Department and at the discreon of the school nurse.<br />
• Over-the-counter medicaons that are required on a more than<br />
occasional basis must be accompanied by an order from an<br />
authorized health care provider and supplied and transported to<br />
the health suite by the parent/guardian.<br />
Parents/guardians or their designee must bring the medicaon to the<br />
school personally. <strong>Student</strong>s are not permied to carry medicaon on<br />
school buses or the school grounds. Under extenuang circumstances<br />
there may be excepons. This is for the safety of all students.<br />
• If the health care provider feels that your child must carry and<br />
self-administer either an inhaler or Epi-Pen®, please have the<br />
health care provider complete the “Permission for <strong>Student</strong>s to<br />
Carry/Self Administer Medicaons” form, stang the medical<br />
necessity for carrying the medicaon. The parent/guardian<br />
must also sign the form. This completed form must be given to<br />
the school nurse. The school nurse will nofy all appropriate<br />
personnel when such excepons are granted, including bus<br />
drivers. A copy of this form will be retained in the student’s<br />
confidenal health folder. The Contract for Self-Administraon of<br />
Medicaon must also be completed. Back-up medicaons must<br />
be kept in the health suite.<br />
• No medicaon will be stored over the summer. The parent/<br />
guardian must pick up all medicaon by the end of the school day<br />
on the last day of school. Any remaining medicaon not picked<br />
up by a parent/guardian will be destroyed. No medicaon will be<br />
sent home with a student.<br />
• A new health care provider’s order and parent/guardian<br />
permission form is required for medicaons at the beginning<br />
of each new school year, and for any changes during the school<br />
year.<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s are permied to carry cough drops, but must have<br />
wrien parent/guardian permission. No health care provider’s<br />
order is required.<br />
The following measures are taken to ensure the safety of the student<br />
taking medicaons.<br />
• All medicaons are kept in a locked cabinet in the health suite at<br />
all mes.<br />
• Medicaon must be taken in the presence of the school nurse,<br />
principal, or designee.<br />
• Records are maintained documenng the medicaon taken,<br />
date, me, and the person who administered it. Immunizaon<br />
requirements can be found on page 13.<br />
MIDDLE SCHOOLS<br />
All nine middle schools offer<br />
comprehensive programs of<br />
study designed to meet state<br />
grade level and graduaon<br />
requirements. <strong>Harford</strong><br />
<strong>County</strong> middle schools offer<br />
a wide and varied range of<br />
extracurricular and club related<br />
acvies. These can include<br />
experiences in music, drama,<br />
fine arts, publicaons, and<br />
areas of student interest. For<br />
more informaon on a specific<br />
school, visit www.hcps.org.<br />
RESOLVING SCHOOL CONCERNS<br />
Academic<br />
Academic quesons or concerns should first be discussed with the<br />
student’s classroom teacher at a face-to-face conference or over<br />
the phone. If the issue cannot be resolved at this level, you should<br />
contact the following personnel, in the order listed, unl a resoluon is<br />
achieved:<br />
• Your student’s teacher<br />
• Assistant Principal<br />
• Principal<br />
• Execuve Director of Elementary School Performance, Execuve<br />
Director of Middle School Performance or Execuve Director of<br />
High School Performance<br />
• Superintendent (the Superintendent may direct a designee to<br />
respond to the concern)<br />
• Board of Educaon of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
Athlec/Extracurricular<br />
High school athlec and extracurricular quesons or concerns should<br />
first be discussed with the school’s athlec director, group sponsor<br />
or team coach at a face-to-face conference or over the phone. If the<br />
issue cannot be resolved at this level, you should contact the following<br />
personnel, in the order listed, unl a resoluon is achieved:<br />
• Principal<br />
• Supervisor of Athlecs (for athlec concerns)<br />
• Execuve Director of High School Performance<br />
• Superintendent (or designee)<br />
• Board of Educaon of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
Disciplinary or Other School-based Concerns<br />
Disciplinary or other school quesons or concerns should be first<br />
discussed with the school assistant principal at a face-to-face<br />
conference or over the phone. If the issue cannot be resolved at this<br />
level, you should follow the same order listed above unl a resoluon is<br />
achieved. Please refer to the Discipline Policies on page 18.<br />
Grievance<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s have the right to seek changes in school policies and rules.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s also have the right to air grievances related to school policies<br />
and rules through a democracally elected representave student<br />
government.<br />
A principal’s decision may be appealed. Only in those cases wherein the<br />
rights of students, as defined in this document, are allegedly violated<br />
may an appeal be made beyond the school to the Superintendent<br />
7
of <strong>Schools</strong> of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong>. Such an appeal shall be made in the<br />
following manner.<br />
1. A wrien appeal or grievance should be directed to the<br />
appropriate execuve director within 30 calendar days. If<br />
unresolved at this level, the appeal or grievance will proceed<br />
to step 2.<br />
2. A wrien appeal or grievance should be directed to the<br />
Superintendent of <strong>Schools</strong> within 15 calendar days.<br />
of November.<br />
Visitor Policy: The Board of Educaon is commied to maintaining a<br />
safe and secure environment for all students, staff, and other persons.<br />
The me, place, and manner by which persons visit the public schools<br />
and other public school buildings are subject to such control and<br />
regulaons as the superintendent and staff deem appropriate in order<br />
to protect and secure the safety of all students, staff, and others who<br />
parcipate in the school community.<br />
STUDENT SERVICES<br />
There are a variety of services available to provide help for children<br />
with special needs. At the school level, the teacher, school counselor,<br />
school nurse, and school administrator assist students with everyday<br />
problems. Specialized personnel such as pupil personnel workers and<br />
psychologists are called into the school to help with more complex<br />
student problems. Parents who feel that their student may have need<br />
of special services should contact the student’s school or the Office of<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Services at 410-588-5334.<br />
VOLUNTEERING & VISITATION IN SCHOOLS<br />
Volunteering: Hundreds of persons each year assist students in the<br />
schools by donang their me to work in classrooms, libraries, and<br />
health rooms. These individuals make valuable contribuons to the<br />
educaonal system by working directly with children or by performing<br />
dues which allow others to give students more individual aenon.<br />
Volunteers are selected at the school level and assigned specific dues.<br />
Before they actually begin work, they parcipate in meengs which are<br />
designed to help them become familiar with the school program and<br />
their new roles. Following these general meengs, the teacher and the<br />
volunteer meet to discuss classroom standards, roune operaons, and<br />
dues to be performed. Persons interested in donang their services<br />
should contact the schools in which they would like to work.<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> invites and encourages the parcipaon<br />
of parents and community members in the educaon of their students.<br />
All parents and community members are expected to parcipate<br />
acvely in program planning and decision making. Visit www.hcps.org<br />
for the full policy.<br />
Vising: Parents are invited to visit their student’s school to observe<br />
classes in session and talk with teachers and other members of the<br />
school staff. In order to ensure that those persons with whom the<br />
parent wishes to talk are available, it is advisable to call the school and<br />
make an appointment in advance of the visit. A special effort is made<br />
each year to encourage parents and other cizens to visit the schools<br />
during American Educaon Week, which is observed during the month<br />
Cover Photos<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s at Riverside Elementary during Pinwheel’s for Peace Day<br />
STEM Fest at Deerfield Elementary<br />
Black History Month Celebraon at Aberdeen Middle School<br />
GEM’s Summer Camp<br />
Joppatowne High School Green Roof Project<br />
Ring Factory Elementary Blue Ribbon Celebraon<br />
Fumancho Ravens Playoff Celebraon at Emmorton Elementary<br />
Chrisna O’Neill, Bel Air Middle School, HCPS Teacher of the Year<br />
Edgewood High School RAM Branch Opening<br />
Character Day at George Lisby Elementary School at Hillsdale<br />
Prospect Mill Elementary Birdhouse Project<br />
Internaonal Baccalaureate Graduang Class, Edgewood High<br />
School<br />
Educaon Day, William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary<br />
8
Board of Education Policies<br />
Please Note: The contents of this handbook are meant as a summary of frequently used Board of Educaon<br />
policies and procedures. For a detailed list of Board policies, please access the Board Policy Manual on our website,<br />
www.hcps.org > Board> Board Policies.<br />
ATTENDANCE<br />
Daily aendance is crucial to student achievement and required in order<br />
to demonstrate mastery of material and receive credit for courses.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s are expected to aend school and all classes regularly and to<br />
be punctual. Upon returning to school from an absence, a student is<br />
required to bring a wrien note from his or her parent/guardian stang<br />
the reason for each absence.<br />
I. General Regulaons<br />
A. Each child who resides in this state and is five-years-old or older and<br />
less than 16 years of age shall aend a public school regularly during<br />
the enre school year except under specific provisions of Maryland law<br />
or regulaon.<br />
B. A student is considered in aendance at school when parcipang<br />
in school-sponsored acvies during the school day, and when that<br />
parcipaon is approved by the local superintendent of schools or the<br />
school principal, or their designees.<br />
II. Recording Aendance<br />
A. <strong>Student</strong>s Scheduled for a Full Day - A student is counted present<br />
for a full day if the student is in aendance four hours or more of the<br />
school day. A student is counted present half day if in aendance for at<br />
least two hours of the school day, but less than four hours. A student<br />
is counted as tardy to school if the student is absent less than two and<br />
one half hours in the morning. A student is counted as early dismissal<br />
if the student is absent less than two and one half hours before<br />
dismissal.<br />
B. Late Opening/Early Dismissal of School Due To Inclement Weather<br />
Or Elementary Planning Day - A student is counted present for a full<br />
day if absent no more than 30 minutes of the school day. A student is<br />
counted present for half day if present for at least two hours. A student<br />
is tardy to school if absent less than 30 minutes in the morning. A<br />
student is counted as early dismissal if absent less than 30 minutes<br />
before dismissal.<br />
C. <strong>Student</strong>s Scheduled for a Paral Day - A student scheduled for a<br />
paral day is to be counted present based on the amount of me<br />
he/she is scheduled. Example: A student scheduled for a two-hour<br />
block of me will be counted present for a full day if the student is in<br />
aendance for that enre block of me. If the student is absent for<br />
that enre block of me, the student will be counted absent for a full<br />
day. A student scheduled for a two-hour block of me will be counted<br />
present for one-half day if the student is in aendance for one hour.<br />
cerficate from the parent(s)/guardian(s) of a student reported<br />
connuously absent for illness. Connuously absent means either<br />
a number of consecuve absences or a total absence in excess of<br />
the standard for regular aendance for which, in the principal’s<br />
judgment, medical documentaon is required.<br />
3. Court Summons.<br />
4. Hazardous weather condions- hazardous weather condions<br />
which would endanger the health or safety of the student when in<br />
transit to and from school.<br />
5. Work approved or sponsored by the school, the local school<br />
system, or the State Department of Educaon, accepted by the<br />
local superintendent of schools or the school principal, or his/her<br />
designees, as reason for excusing the students.<br />
6. Observance of a religious holiday- the absence of a student to<br />
parcipate in the observance of a major religious holiday shall<br />
not prevent him or her from achieving a “Perfect Aendance”<br />
cerficate or other appropriate recognion for aendance.<br />
Major tests, field trips, the taking of student pictures, and similar<br />
acvies should not, insofar as possible, be scheduled during<br />
religious holidays.<br />
7. State emergency.<br />
8. Suspension.<br />
9. Lack of authorized transportaon-this shall not include students<br />
denied authorized transportaon for disciplinary reasons.<br />
10. Other emergency set of circumstances which, in the judgment of<br />
the superintendent or designee, constutes a good and sufficient<br />
cause for absence from school.<br />
11. Family Vacaon or Family Trip- a family vacaon or a family trip<br />
during the school year is strongly discouraged as the loss of class<br />
me may have a negave impact on the student’s academic<br />
progress and record. It is also recognized that, on some occasions,<br />
working parents have lile control over the me of the year<br />
when vacaons or trips may be taken. Family vacaon absences<br />
are considered lawful only if they have prior wrien approval<br />
of the principal and do not exceed five days per school year.<br />
Wrien requests must be made at least ten days in advance of<br />
the requested vacaon absence, and aer approval, parents<br />
and students are responsible for requesng assignments. If a<br />
family vaacon or trip is not approved, the parent may follow the<br />
appeals process in Secon VIII. Requests that exceed five days per<br />
year may be approved by the Superintendent’s designee.<br />
III. Recording Absences<br />
A. Lawful Absences<br />
1. Death in the immediate family- the immediate family shall include<br />
parent, siblings, grandparents, a person who is the primary care<br />
provider, or anyone who lives regularly in the household of the<br />
student and others as determined by the school principal.<br />
2. Illness of the student- the principal may require a physician’s<br />
The <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, naonal origin, religion, sexual orientaon,<br />
or disability in maers affecng employment or in providing access to programs. Inquiries related to the policies of the Board of Educaon of<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> should be directed to the Manager of Communicaons, 410-588-5203.<br />
9
B. Unlawful Absence<br />
An absence, including absence for any poron of the day, for any<br />
reason other than those cited as lawful are presumed to be unlawful<br />
and may constute truancy.<br />
Definions<br />
• Truancy - A truant is a student who is absent from school or a<br />
poron thereof without lawful cause.<br />
• Habitual Truant - A student is a habitual truant if he or she is<br />
unlawfully absent from school for a number of days or equivalent<br />
days in excess of six percent of the school days within any marking<br />
period, semester, or year.<br />
Repeated unlawful absences will require a school conference between<br />
the appropriate school personnel and parent(s)/guardian(s) and may<br />
result in a referral to the pupil personnel worker.<br />
Any student who meets or exceeds five days of unlawful absence in a<br />
quarter must be referred to the pupil personnel worker.<br />
C. Tardiness<br />
Any student(s) arriving up to two hours late to school shall be<br />
considered late to school. Two hours or more late would be considered<br />
absent one-half day. <strong>Student</strong>s arriving with less than two hours<br />
remaining in the school day would be considered absent the enre<br />
day. <strong>Student</strong>s leaving school with more than two hours remaining<br />
would be considered absent one-half day.<br />
IV. Standard for Regular Aendance and Acons or Consequences for<br />
Not Meeng the Standard<br />
The standard for regular aendance is the minimal requirement for<br />
student aendance in order to permit connuity in the instruconal<br />
program. The standard includes both lawful and unlawful<br />
absences within a marking period, semester, or school year.<br />
The minimal standard is no more than four total days absence<br />
per quarter.<br />
The acons taken when the standard is not met should reflect a<br />
connuum of consequences for increasing absenteeism. School officials<br />
may waive these acons when they are aware of circumstances beyond<br />
the student’s control such as documented chronic illnesses, etc. In<br />
addion, students who receive services under an IEP or 504 plan may<br />
not necessarily be subject to the consequences for failing to meet the<br />
aendance standard.<br />
A. All <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Beginning with the fih absence and/or tardiness, the parent will be<br />
nofied in wring.<br />
Connuing absence and/or tardiness of the student will result in the<br />
iniaon of one or more of the following acons:<br />
1. Conference with the parent, student, and the principal or<br />
designee.<br />
2. Referral to student services team and/or the pupil personnel<br />
worker for appropriate intervenon.<br />
3. Probaonary me period - verbal agreement.<br />
4. Wrien contract.<br />
5. Aer-school detenon.<br />
6. Saturday school (non-teaching day aendance).<br />
7. Removal of school privileges.<br />
8. Restricon of extracurricular acvies.<br />
9. In-school suspension (due process procedures followed).<br />
10. Consideraon of enrollment in the Alternave Educaon Program.<br />
11. Referral to <strong>Student</strong> Services for possible outside referral to court<br />
for violaon of the compulsory aendance law or to Juvenile<br />
Services for intake services.<br />
B. High <strong>Schools</strong><br />
1. Following the second day of unlawful absence in a semester course,<br />
the parent will be nofied in wring of the imminent danger of loss<br />
of the one-half credit for the course. On the fih day of unlawful<br />
absence, the student loses credit for the semester course. Parents<br />
will be nofied in wring of the loss of credit and made aware of the<br />
appeal process.<br />
2. Following the sixth day of unlawful absence in a full-year course, the<br />
parent will be nofied in wring of the imminent danger of loss of the<br />
full one-credit for the course. On the 11th day of unlawful absence, the<br />
student loses credit for the full-year course. Parents will be nofied in<br />
wring of the loss of credit and made aware of the appeal process.<br />
C. Elementary and Middle <strong>Schools</strong><br />
<strong>Student</strong>s who have been absent 20 days by the end of the third<br />
quarter must be reviewed for possible retenon during promoon/<br />
non-promoon conferences.<br />
V. Make-up Work Procedures<br />
A. There shall be no make-up work given to students who have been<br />
unlawfully absent.<br />
B. The make-up policy for short term (five days or less) lawful absence<br />
shall be:<br />
• It will be the responsibility of the student/guardian to request<br />
missed assignments.<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s will be given the number of days equal to the number<br />
of days absent to turn in completed make-up work. Assignments<br />
may be provided when possible in advance of a lawful absence if<br />
requested by parent/guardian at least five days in advance of the<br />
absence and approved by the principal or designee. Submission of<br />
the make-up work provided in advance is required upon the return<br />
of the student to school unless extenuang circumstances have<br />
been documented.<br />
C. The make-up work policy for extended (six days or more) lawful<br />
absence shall require that the parent/guardian request designated<br />
school officials to arrange for make-up work.<br />
• The teacher will provide the required make-up work in a method<br />
chosen by the teacher and will collect and correct the make-up<br />
work. A reasonable me line for the compleon of the work will be<br />
established. It is recommended that this exchange of completed<br />
and newly assigned work be done on a weekly basis.<br />
• The student will be accountable to complete all assigned make-up<br />
work.<br />
10
D. All make-up work will be graded in accordance with the regular<br />
classroom grading policy as long as it is completed within the<br />
established meline.<br />
E. It is the responsibility of the student and the parent/guardian to<br />
iniate the request and obtain work from the teachers and return the<br />
completed work within the allocated meframe.<br />
F. <strong>Student</strong>s permied to enroll in the Alternave Educaon Program as<br />
a result of a long-term suspension do not have the opon to receive<br />
make-up work from the home school.<br />
ATTENDANCE AREAS<br />
The aendance area for each public school in the county is designated<br />
by the Board of Educaon. <strong>Student</strong>s must aend the school in the area<br />
in which they reside. The residence of the student is considered to be<br />
the same as the residence of his/her parent, legally-appointed guardian,<br />
or caretaker. If there are quesons concerning the boundaries of a<br />
school’s aendance area, log on to the HCPS website (www.hcps.org) to<br />
access the “School Locator”/Aendance Area Boundary maps or call the<br />
school system’s Transportaon Office at 410-638-4092.<br />
Boundary Excepons<br />
The Board of Educaon recognizes that circumstances may arise<br />
that cause parents or legal guardians to request permission for a<br />
student to aend a school outside their home aendance area. The<br />
superintendent of schools will develop and implement administrave<br />
guidelines for evaluang boundary excepon and school transfer<br />
requests. To apply for a boundary excepon, please contact your<br />
child’s Pupil Personnel Worker (PPW).<br />
The superintendent of schools shall submit the Administrave<br />
Guidelines for Evaluang Boundary Excepon/School Transfer<br />
Requests along with recommended changes to the Board of Educaon<br />
for review on an annual basis. The review will occur each winter prior<br />
to the March 1st applicaon period for the next school year.<br />
Proof of Residency<br />
When registering for enrollment into any <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong><br />
School, proof that they student is domiciled in <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> with the<br />
child’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) is required. Proof of residency must<br />
be updated each me residency changes.<br />
The following are the types of acceptable documentaon for proof of<br />
residency:<br />
• For homeowners – a current monthly ulity bill (cable, non-cellular<br />
phone, or gas and electric) with service address indicated<br />
• For renters - an original current lease (dated within 90 days of<br />
registraon) along with a current monthly ulity bill (see above)<br />
All documents must be originals, dated within three months of<br />
registraon.<br />
Examples of documents that are unacceptable as proof of residency:<br />
• Driver’s License<br />
• Property Tax Bill<br />
• Water Bill<br />
• Cell Phone Bill<br />
Families who do not have a house or apartment of their own, but live<br />
with a relave or friend, are required to submit a notarized Mul-<br />
Family Affidavit as proof of residency for each year the student and<br />
parent are in a shared housing/mul-family living arrangement. Review<br />
of the mul-family/shared living arrangement will be conducted by<br />
the Pupil Personnel Worker (PPW) in your aendance area. Special<br />
documentaon must be on file.<br />
CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT<br />
Definions<br />
1. Child - any person under the age of 18 years.<br />
2. Child abuse - the physical or mental injury of a child by any parent<br />
or other person who has permanent or temporary care or custody<br />
or responsibility for supervision of a child, or by any household or<br />
family member, under circumstances that indicate that the child’s<br />
health or welfare is harmed or at substanal risk of being harmed;<br />
or sexual abuse of a child, whether physical injuries are sustained<br />
or not.<br />
3. Neglect - leaving a child unaended or other failure to give proper<br />
care and aenon to a child by any parent or other person who<br />
has permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for<br />
supervision of the child under circumstances that indicate: that the<br />
child’s health or welfare is harmed or placed at substanal risk of<br />
harm; or mental injury to the child or a substanal risk of mental<br />
injury.<br />
4. Sexual abuse - any act that involves sexual molestaon or<br />
exploitaon of a child by a parent or other person who has<br />
permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for<br />
supervision of a child, or by any household or family member.<br />
Sexual abuse includes: incest, rape, or sexual offense in any degree;<br />
sodomy; and unnatural or perverted sexual pracces.<br />
A. The Maryland child abuse and neglect laws mandate that any<br />
person who believes or has reason to believe that a child may have<br />
been abused or neglected must report such reasons both orally and<br />
in wring to the Department of Social Services (DSS) or to a local law<br />
enforcement agency within 48 hours.<br />
B. Educators (teachers, school counselors, or other professional<br />
employees of the school system), as well as volunteers working in<br />
the schools, are required to report the incident to the principal of the<br />
child’s school.<br />
C. Individuals reporng in good faith are immune from any civil liability<br />
or criminal penalty.<br />
FACILITY INFORMATION<br />
Use Of School Facilies<br />
The Board of Educaon of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> encourages the use<br />
of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> (HCPS) facilies by the school<br />
community in accordance with Secon 7-108 of the Educaon Arcle<br />
of the Maryland Annotated Code and the HCPS Use of <strong>Public</strong> School<br />
Facilies Procedure. <strong>Student</strong>s and parents who are part of a schoolaffiliated<br />
group may be allowed to use HCPS facilies for any curricular<br />
or co-curricular program or acvity that is directly affiliated with the<br />
programs of the school system and under the supervision of a parcular<br />
school within HCPS. School-affiliated groups may be allowed to use<br />
HCPS facilies to sponsor programs or acvies that are directly<br />
affiliated with the school’s educaonal program and sponsored by the<br />
Parent-Teacher-<strong>Student</strong> Associaon (PTSA), the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> Council<br />
of PTSA, and officially recognized employee organizaons. Requests<br />
for school-sponsored acvies must be submied and processed, and<br />
once approved must be conducted, in accordance with Board policy<br />
and the HCPS Use of Facilies Procedure. Local schools must document<br />
the intended use by the school-affiliated group by compleng the Use<br />
11
of Facilies<br />
Form B.<br />
The Use of<br />
Facilies<br />
Form B must<br />
be forwarded<br />
to the Office<br />
of Operaons<br />
prior to the<br />
scheduled<br />
program or<br />
acvity.<br />
Any group<br />
that intends<br />
to use<br />
an HCPS<br />
facility for a non-school related program or acvity that is not<br />
school sponsored or school affiliated must be granted approval<br />
for the intended use by compleng and subming, to the school<br />
administraon, a Use of Facilies Form A.<br />
All facility use by groups, both affiliated or non-affiliated with HCPS,<br />
must adhere to HCPS policy, procedure, rules, and regulaons as they<br />
relate to approval for use, responsibilies during use, requirements<br />
and condions of use, safety and security requirements, as well as<br />
care and condion of facility requirements. The HCPS Use of Facilies<br />
Procedures can be found on the school system website, www.hcps.org.<br />
Integrated Pest Management And Noficaon Of Pescide Use In A<br />
<strong>Public</strong> School Building And On School Grounds<br />
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a system of controlling pests<br />
that does not depend on automac applicaon of pescides. As<br />
implemented by <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>, pests are monitored<br />
by regular and careful inspecons. Through a system of inspecon,<br />
documentaon, communicaon with building occupants, and evaluaon<br />
of any required acons, an effecve program of pest control is currently<br />
in place.<br />
Priority is given to non-chemical pest management techniques.<br />
However, there will be occasions when pescide applicaon is<br />
necessary. Applicaon will be done in a manner sufficient to minimize<br />
potenal exposure to occupants and the building environment. In<br />
compliance with regulaons as set forth by Maryland Department of<br />
Agriculture, noficaon will be made to the parent(s)/guardian(s) of all<br />
elementary students and staff, and parent(s)/guardian(s) of secondary<br />
students and staff on the school’s noficaon list. If you are the parent/<br />
guardian of a student aending a secondary school or <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> staff and wish to be nofied of all pescide applicaons,<br />
contact school administraon to request wrien noficaon.<br />
A lisng of those pescides that might be applied in <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> School buildings or on school grounds can be found on the<br />
website, at www.hcps.org. In addion, noficaon of pescide<br />
applicaons will be provided to parents, guardians and staff members<br />
through the use of the Internet, phone, or e-mail. For those parents,<br />
guardians or staff members that do not have access to the Internet,<br />
phone, or e-mail, or who wish to receive the noficaon via nonelectronic<br />
formats, the school district will provide paper copies of the<br />
pescide list and noces of pescide applicaon.<br />
Informaon about pescides or bait staons that may be used in<br />
school buildings or on school grounds when non-chemical techniques<br />
are exhausted or inappropriate can be obtained through the Facilies<br />
Management Department, 2209 Conowingo Road, Bel Air, MD 21015.<br />
The execuve director of facilies management serves as coordinator<br />
and maintains product labels and material safety data sheets for each<br />
product. Currently, these pescides and bait staons include (by<br />
common name) Amorphous Silica Gel, Borate, Borax, Bromadiolone,<br />
Bromethalon, Carbon, Chlorfenapyr, Cyfluthrin, Cypermethrim, D-Trans<br />
Allethrin, Deltamethrin, Diphacinone, Dimethylamine salt of 2,4 and<br />
Fiprobnil, Glyphosate, Hydramethylon, Hydroprene, Imidacloprid,<br />
Methoprene, s-metochlor, Napthalene, Orthoboric Acid, Oxadizon,<br />
Permethrin, Potassium Salt of Fay Acid, Pyrethrins, Resmethrin,<br />
Sodium Nitrate, and Sulfer. The public can review this informaon by<br />
contacng the program coordinator at 410-638-4088. Copies can be<br />
obtained for the cost of reproducon. A more detailed descripon of<br />
IPM techniques employed by <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> may be<br />
found in the IPM manual located at each school site.<br />
For further informaon regarding <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> IPM<br />
Program contact the execuve director of facilies management at 410-<br />
638-4088.<br />
Noficaon Of AHERA Inspecon & Management Plan Compliance<br />
This noficaon is to inform interested pares such as teachers, school<br />
personnel, and parents about Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response<br />
Act (AHERA) requirements and the acons taken by <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> to comply with AHERA regulaons. On October 30,<br />
1987, the AHERA regulaons were published in the Federal Register,<br />
pages 41826 to 41898, tled “Asbestos Containing Materials in<br />
<strong>Schools</strong>.” These regulaons require a building inspecon to find<br />
asbestos containing material (ACM) within each school building and a<br />
management plan for each building. Building Inspecons have been<br />
conducted by an Environmental Protecon Agency accredited Building<br />
Inspector. Management Plans have been wrien by an Environmental<br />
Protecon Agency accredited management planner for each school,<br />
cataloging ACM found by the building inspecon.<br />
Building inspecons and management plans have been completed<br />
for all <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>. These documents have been<br />
submied to the State of Maryland in compliance with AHERA’s May<br />
9, 1989, deadline. The individual building reports include schedules<br />
for periodic surveillance of ACM, re-inspecon to be conducted by an<br />
accredited Environmental Protecon Agency building inspector, and<br />
response acons planned, as well as those already completed. The<br />
first re-inspecon of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>’ buildings was<br />
completed in 1992; and subsequent re-inspecons were performed in<br />
1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010.<br />
Management plans are available for public review at school<br />
administrave offices. To minimize confusion, and in order for a<br />
representave of the school system to be available, all who wish to<br />
review the reports are requested to make an appointment with school<br />
administrators. <strong>Public</strong> viewing is at no cost to the individual. Copies of<br />
the various reports are available for a fee based upon the copying costs<br />
of the individual report requested.<br />
Most <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> schools do have ACM, and all schools that do,<br />
have it idenfied and catalogued in their management plans. Those<br />
materials are monitored by school and facilies staff, and reinspected<br />
every three years by cerfied inspectors. In the event that deterioraon<br />
is noted, or maintenance acon in the area of the materials requires<br />
that the ACM be removed, it is removed only by cerfied contractors,<br />
with monitoring by a separate industrial hygiene contractor. No one<br />
other than cerfied contractors; not school staff, not teachers, not<br />
students, nor parents should EVER take it upon themselves to aempt<br />
to remove known or suspected asbestos containing materials for any<br />
reason.<br />
12
Noficaon of Sampling for Lead in Drinking Water<br />
Medical research shows lead to be a toxic metal which can be harmful<br />
to human health even at low exposure levels. As evident by research,<br />
young children, infants, and fetuses are parcularly vulnerable to lead<br />
exposure, at lower exposure limits than adults. The effects are observed<br />
in physiological and behavioral symptoms.<br />
The degree of harm from lead depends upon the total exposure to<br />
lead from all sources, and is cumulave over your lifespan. Children<br />
as well as adults connue to be exposed to lead from a number of<br />
sources, including dust from lead paint and soil, food, and water. For<br />
more informaon on these sources, please contact the <strong>County</strong> Health<br />
Department at 410-838-1500, or the Maryland Department of the<br />
Environment at 410-537-3000.<br />
In October 1988, Congress passed the Lead Contaminaon Control Act<br />
in order to prevent lead contaminaon of drinking water in schools and<br />
daycare centers. The Act required the Environmental Protecon Agency<br />
(EPA) to publish a list of water coolers that were known to contain lead.<br />
It also required schools and daycare centers to take acons to reduce<br />
lead from other sources of drinking water to no more than 20 parts per<br />
billion.<br />
The Lead and Copper Rule required small water systems to complete<br />
inial monitoring of their drinking water supply by December 31,<br />
1993. <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> has completed the inial tesng<br />
and connue to meet the requirements as issued by the EPA. Those<br />
requirements include corrosion control, source water treatment, and<br />
public educaon for systems that exceed the acon level of 15 parts per<br />
billion (ppb) or 0.015 milligrams per liter (mg/L).<br />
Results from tesng done by <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> are on file<br />
in the administrave offices for the school system, and are available<br />
for inspecon by the public. Regular monitoring of the drinking water<br />
connues. Any quesons may be directed to 410-638-4085.<br />
Noficaon of Rights Under the Protecon of Pupil Rights Act<br />
PPRA provides parents certain rights regarding the conduct of surveys,<br />
collecon and use of informaon for markeng purposes, and certain<br />
physical exams in the public schools. A complete lisng of rights can be<br />
obtained by calling the Communicaons Office at 410-588-5203.<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Parking Policy<br />
Parking on school property is a privilege afforded to students. Certain<br />
condions are aached to that privilege. <strong>Student</strong>s who fail to comply<br />
with those condions will be denied or subject to loss of parking<br />
privileges. <strong>Student</strong>s will receive noce that vehicles parked on school<br />
property may be subject to search in accordance to applicable search<br />
and seizure laws and regulaons. <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> shall<br />
not assume responsibility for any loss or damage to vehicles or their<br />
contents while they are on school property.<br />
Each high school shall develop and publish parking procedures<br />
governing the condions under which students may be granted<br />
permission to use the parking facilies available on the school grounds.<br />
The local school procedures shall include the following:<br />
A. A general statement indicang that any student who needs to<br />
drive to school and park in the school lot during school hours must<br />
obtain a permit.<br />
B. Rules, Definions, and Procedures for Policy Implementaon<br />
1. Each high school principal annually determines the number<br />
of parking spaces on the school premises which can be made<br />
available to students.<br />
2. Only students with a valid driver’s license may apply for a<br />
parking permit.<br />
3. <strong>Student</strong>s and parents must submit a completed, signed<br />
applicaon form for a student parking permit.<br />
4. <strong>Student</strong>s with outstanding financial obligaons to the school<br />
will not be issued a parking permit.<br />
5. Each high school shall develop priories of needs for the<br />
issuance of parking permits.<br />
6. Each high school will establish campus traffic and parking<br />
rules.<br />
7. Each high school will issue a parking permit for an assigned<br />
parking area. <strong>Student</strong>s will be permied to park only in<br />
assigned parking areas.<br />
8. Parking permits must be displayed at all mes while on school<br />
property.<br />
9. Penales for driving violaons, parking without a permit, or<br />
other school violaons may include suspension or revocaon<br />
of the permit, disciplinary acon, ckeng by the police, and/<br />
or towing at the student’s expense.<br />
IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS<br />
The State of Maryland has established immunizaon requirements for<br />
all students entering or enrolled in Maryland schools for the 2012-2013<br />
school year.<br />
Requirements to achieve complete immunizaon status include the<br />
following:<br />
• Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough), (DTaP, DTP)<br />
– four doses vaccine for all students entering pre-Kindergarten<br />
grade. If DT is given in place of DTP or DTaP, a physician<br />
documented medical contraindicaon if required.<br />
• Polio vaccine - three doses for all students less than 18 years of<br />
age or proof of immunity by posive blood test.<br />
• Measles - two doses of measles vaccine received on or aer<br />
student’s first birthday, or proof of immunity by posive blood<br />
test for students entering kindergarten -12th grade. Preschool<br />
students under 60 months of age require one dose of measles;<br />
preschool students 60 months of age or older require two doses<br />
of measles vaccine.<br />
• One dose of rubella vaccine on or aer the student’s first<br />
birthday, or proof of immunity by a posive blood test for<br />
students entering K-12th grade. Preschool students 60 months<br />
or older require two doses of rubella vaccine.<br />
• One dose of mumps vaccine on or aer the student’s first<br />
birthday or proof of immunity through a posive blood test for<br />
students entering Kindergarten -12th grade. Preschool students<br />
60 months of age or older require two doses of mumps vaccine.<br />
• Varicella: one dose required for students under 13 years of age<br />
administered on or aer student’s first birthday; or two doses<br />
required for previously unvaccinated students 13 years of age<br />
and older. History of chicken pox documented by a health care<br />
provider including month and year of disease or a posive blood<br />
test will be accepted as proof in lieu of vaccinaon.<br />
• Hepas B vaccine - three doses or a posive blood test for<br />
students entering Pre Kindergarten—12th grade.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s enrolled in preschool programs must also:<br />
• Have received one dose of Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7, PCV 13,<br />
Prevnar) if they are under 60 months of age.<br />
• Have received Haemophilus influenza- type b vaccine (Hib) if they<br />
are under 60 months of age. At least one dose of Hib must be<br />
administered on or aer the first birthday.<br />
• (Upon record review a vaccine dose given less than or equal to<br />
four days before the minimum interval or age may be counted<br />
13
as valid.) Official documentaon is recorded on the Maryland<br />
Immunizaon Cerficate, DHMH 896. This form is available from<br />
the schools. If you have documentaon from another source,<br />
please consult with the school nurse.<br />
PRIVACY RIGHTS OF PARENTS & STUDENTS<br />
The Family Educaonal Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)/<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Records<br />
Definions:<br />
• Personally Idenfiable Informaon (PII) - data or informaon<br />
including (a) the name of the student, his/her parents, and family<br />
members; (b) address; (c) social security number or student<br />
number; (d) a list of personal characteriscs which would make it<br />
possible to idenfy the student with reasonable certainty; or (e)<br />
other informaon which would make it possible to idenfy the<br />
student with reasonable certainty.<br />
• <strong>Student</strong> Records - records that are: (a) directly related to a student;<br />
and (b) maintained by <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> or by a party<br />
acng for the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>.<br />
I. Noficaon of Rights under FERPA for Elementary and Secondary<br />
<strong>Schools</strong><br />
The FERPA affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or<br />
older (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s<br />
educaon records. These rights are:<br />
A. The right to inspect and review the student’s educaon records<br />
within 45 days aer the day the school receives a request for<br />
access.<br />
Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal<br />
a wrien request that idenfies the records they wish to inspect.<br />
The school official will make arrangements for access and nofy<br />
the parent or eligible student of the me and place where the<br />
records may be inspected.<br />
B. The right to request the amendment of the student’s educaon<br />
records that the parent or eligible student believes are<br />
inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violaon of the student’s<br />
privacy rights under FERPA.<br />
Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the school to amend<br />
a record should write the school principal, clearly idenfy the<br />
part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should<br />
be changed. If the school decides not to amend the record as<br />
requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will nofy<br />
the parent or eligible student of the decision and of their right<br />
to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Addional<br />
informaon regarding the hearing procedures will be provided<br />
to the parent or eligible student when nofied of the right to a<br />
hearing.<br />
C. The right to provide wrien consent before the school discloses<br />
personally idenfiable informaon (PII) from the student’s<br />
educaon records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes<br />
disclosure without consent.<br />
One excepon, which permits disclosure without consent,<br />
is disclosure to school officials with legimate educaonal<br />
interests. A school official is a person employed by the school as<br />
an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member<br />
(including health or medical staff and school resource officer)<br />
or a person serving on the school Board. A school official also<br />
may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the school<br />
who performs an instuonal service of funcon for which<br />
the school would otherwise use its own employees and who<br />
is under the direct control of the school with respect to the<br />
use and maintenance of PII from educaon records, such as an<br />
aorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or<br />
student volunteering to serve on an official commiee, such as a<br />
disciplinary or grievance commiee; or a parent, student, or other<br />
volunteer assisng another school official in performing his or her<br />
tasks. A school official has a legimate educaonal interest if the<br />
official needs to review an educaon record in order to fulfill his<br />
or her professional responsibility.<br />
Upon request, the school discloses educaon records without<br />
consent to officials of another school district in which a student<br />
seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is<br />
for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer.<br />
D. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of<br />
Educaon concerning alleged failures by the School to comply with<br />
the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office<br />
that administers FERPA are:<br />
Family Policy Compliance Office<br />
U.S. Department of Educaon<br />
400 Maryland Avenue, SW<br />
Washington, DC 20202<br />
II. Noce for Disclosure of Directory Informaon<br />
A. FERPA requires that the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>, with<br />
certain excepons, obtain your wrien consent prior to the<br />
disclosure of personally idenfiable informaon from your child’s<br />
educaon records. However, <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> may<br />
disclose appropriately designated “directory informaon” without<br />
wrien consent, unless you have advised the district to the contrary<br />
in accordance with district procedures. The primary purpose of<br />
directory informaon is to allow <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> to<br />
include this type of informaon from your child’s educaon records<br />
in certain school publicaons. Examples include:<br />
• A playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama producon;<br />
• The annual yearbook;<br />
• Honor roll or other recognion lists;<br />
• Graduaon programs; and<br />
• Sports acvity sheets, such as football, wrestling, showing<br />
weight and height of team members.<br />
B. Directory informaon, which is informaon that is generally not<br />
considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be<br />
disclosed to outside organizaons without a parent’s prior wrien<br />
consent. In addion, two federal laws require local educaonal<br />
agencies receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary<br />
Educaon Act of 1965 to provide military recruiters, upon request,<br />
with the following informaon – names, addresses and telephone<br />
lisngs – unless parents have advised the local school system that<br />
they do not want their student’s informaon disclosed without their<br />
prior wrien consent.<br />
C. If you do not want <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> to disclose<br />
directory informaon from your child’s educaon records without<br />
your prior wrien consent, you must nofy the student’s principal<br />
in wring within 10 school days of public noce or personal receipt<br />
of such noce. <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> has designated the<br />
following informaon as directory informaon:<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>’s name and grade, but only when it appears on<br />
honor roll or graduaon list or as a member of a schoolapproved<br />
team, club, or other student organizaon or school<br />
publicaon;<br />
• Parcipaon in officially recognized acvies and sports;<br />
• Weight and height of members of athlec teams;<br />
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• Degrees and awards received;<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>’s name and photograph as they appear in individual<br />
school or school system publicaons.<br />
RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS<br />
Religion<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s have the right to pracce their own religious beliefs<br />
provided they neither violate the rights of others nor disrupt or<br />
interfere with school operaons.<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s have the right to study, examine, discuss, and analyze<br />
religious ideas and instuons just as they might study any other<br />
subject.<br />
• <strong>Schools</strong> shall neither conduct religious exercises nor encourage or<br />
support any religious beliefs or pracces.<br />
Patrioc Exercises<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> are to encourage the devoon to their flag and their country by<br />
displaying and properly caring for the American flag on the school site<br />
and in each classroom.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s shall have the right to parcipate in or observe patrioc<br />
exercises in their schools. They shall not, however, be required to take<br />
part in such exercises nor may they interrupt the parcipaon of other<br />
students in such exercises. <strong>Student</strong>s shall not be penalized in any way<br />
for exercising such rights.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s have a variety of other rights that are outlined by school board<br />
and addional policies can be found on the school system website,<br />
www.hcps.org.<br />
Dress Code<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s have the responsibility to choose their are and to arrange<br />
their personal appearance in a manner that is safe, healthy, inoffensive,<br />
and not disrupve to the educaonal process. The student dress code<br />
is intended to create and preserve a posive climate for teaching<br />
and learning, reduce the possibility of discipline problems, and<br />
preserve school order and safety. The intenon of the policy is to seek<br />
compliance from students and to avoid disciplinary acon unless there<br />
are repeated offenses or serious aggravang circumstances. <strong>Student</strong>s’<br />
style of dress or grooming must meet the reasonable requirements of<br />
a course or acvity. Accordingly, students are prohibited from wearing<br />
clothing, head wear, jewelry, taoos, sunglasses, bookbags, or other<br />
arcles of personal appearance that:<br />
• Depict profanity, obscenity, the use of weapons, or violence.<br />
• Promote the use of tobacco, drugs, alcohol, or other illegal or<br />
harmful products.<br />
• Contain sexually suggesve messages.<br />
• Unduly expose or reveal skin or undergarments such as tank<br />
tops*, tube tops, haltertops, mesh tops, bare midriff tops,<br />
spaghe straps, pants worn below the hips, short-shorts,<br />
miniskirts, or bedme are.<br />
• Contain language or symbols that offend or demean an<br />
idenfiable person or group or otherwise infringe on the rights<br />
of others in violaon of the Board harassment or discriminaon<br />
policies.<br />
• Cause, or is likely to cause, a substanal or material disrupon to<br />
school acvies or the orderly operaon of the school, including<br />
but not limited to swaskas and gang-related are.<br />
• Contain profane, disrespecul, or discourteous expressions<br />
inconsistent with civil discourse and behavior.<br />
• Endanger health or safety.<br />
*A tank top is a sleeveless garment with wide shoulder straps that<br />
dips well below the neckline. The top is typically “U” or “V” shaped,<br />
exposing a broad area of the shoulder, upper chest, and neck. Tank<br />
top straps are typically two to four inches wide. Tank tops, especially<br />
those with thinner straps, do not sufficiently conceal components of the<br />
undergarments and or body parts.<br />
Excepons under this policy shall be given consideraon in the<br />
following instances:<br />
• When a reasonable accommodaon is made if a student<br />
wears an arcle of dress or other item which is a lawful<br />
exercise of his/her right to freedom of expression or freedom<br />
of religion.<br />
• When a reasonable accommodaon is necessary due to a<br />
documented medical or health reason, but only as authorized<br />
by the school principal.<br />
• When an authorized acvity, such as athlecs or band,<br />
requires different are, but only upon the direcon of the<br />
coach or faculty sponsor of the acvity.<br />
Special Provisions and Restricons<br />
The following examples are provided for guidance in implemenng<br />
the policy and are not intended to list every possible violaon or<br />
circumstance.<br />
Physical Educaon<br />
Proper physical educaon apparel and shoes are to be worn. For<br />
secondary students, the appropriate school physical educaon uniform<br />
should be worn.<br />
• The following jewelry items will not be worn in physical educaon<br />
classes: earrings, bracelets, rings, and necklaces.<br />
• Pierced ear studs are permied to be worn by elementary students<br />
only.<br />
• Jewelry which needs to be removed for physical educaon class<br />
shall be the responsibility of the student.<br />
Clothing<br />
• Clothing worn in such a manner so as to reveal undergarments or<br />
bare skin between the upper chest and mid-thigh is not permied.<br />
• Skirts, dresses, and shorts must be no shorter than the student’s<br />
longest fingerp when the student’s hands are held at his/her side.<br />
• Pants shall be secured at the waist; must not touch or drag on the<br />
ground; must not reveal undergarments or bare skin while sing<br />
or bending; must not have any holes or tears above the knee; the<br />
crotch of the pants shall be no longer than the student’s longest<br />
fingerp when the student’s hands are held at his/her side; and<br />
the boom of the pants must be no wider than the length of the<br />
wearer’s shoes.<br />
Outerwear<br />
• It is a general expectaon that outer garments, including, but not<br />
limited to lightweight jackets, hats, etc. are not to be worn during<br />
the school day. These items are to be stored in lockers.<br />
• Principals will have the discreon to permit students to wear<br />
15
outerwear in the school building when condions are warranted.<br />
Head wear<br />
• Head wear, including, but not limited to, hats, visors, doo rags,<br />
sweatbands, and bandannas, is not to be worn inside school<br />
buildings during the school day.<br />
Jewelry<br />
• Jewelry/body piercings (example: spiked jewelry, chokers, rings,<br />
bracelets) that pose a health or safety hazard or is disrupve to the<br />
orderly process of the school is not permied.<br />
• Chains that could cause injury to others are not permied.<br />
Sunglasses<br />
• Sunglasses are considered inappropriate for inside wear.<br />
• Medical excepons may be considered by the principal.<br />
When a student’s are or personal appearance violates this policy,<br />
the principal or designee shall invesgate and take correcve acons,<br />
including but not limited to the following:<br />
• Requiring the student to remove or change the item;<br />
• Taking reasonable steps to nofy the student’s parents of the<br />
violaon; and<br />
• For repeated violaons, iniang progressive discipline for<br />
insubordinaon as appropriate, which may include suspension<br />
from school.<br />
Are shall be disallowed if, in the judgment of the local school<br />
administrator, such are may negavely impact safety, health, or the<br />
posive climate for teaching and learning in the school.<br />
Principals will have the authority to suspend or waive the restricons<br />
on clothing for social events such as, but not limited to, proms,<br />
homecoming dances or school sponsored acvies aimed at promong<br />
school spirit.<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Lockers<br />
Where available, lockers will be provided for students to have a<br />
secure repository for books, clothing, school materials, etc. Each<br />
school principal will establish procedures for assigning lockers. School<br />
administrators will take necessary steps to ensure that lockers are in<br />
good working order and that combinaon locks are rounely rotated.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s shall be personally and solely responsible for the contents,<br />
cleanliness, and condion of the assigned locker. <strong>Student</strong>s will not<br />
be permied to use personal locks on school lockers. <strong>Student</strong>s are<br />
expected to report any case of a broken/unsecured locker or the<br />
immediately to the school main office, physical educaon teacher, or<br />
athlec team coach as appropriate. <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> shall<br />
not assume responsibility for the the, loss, or damage of books or any<br />
personal items in a student locker.<br />
It is the responsibility of all students to cooperate fully with any lawful<br />
invesgaon by authorized persons on school property.<br />
It is the responsibility of students not to enter school property with<br />
dangerous or illegal items or those items that constute violaons of<br />
school policy. A principal, assistant principal, or school security guard<br />
may make a search of the physical plant and its assets including the<br />
lockers of students.<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Backpack Use<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s are permied to use backpacks or similar items to carry<br />
their schoolbooks, materials, or equipment while traveling to and<br />
from school. However, because of the importance of maintaining a<br />
safe environment in the school, such items must be stored in lockers<br />
or designated areas during the school day. The school principal will<br />
have the authority to make excepons based on medical or health<br />
condions, or disability. <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> shall not assume<br />
responsibility for the the, loss, or damage to a student’s backpack or<br />
similar item, or its contents.<br />
The following condions shall apply:<br />
• Bookbags, backpacks, etc. shall be stored in the student’s<br />
assigned locker or designated area.<br />
• Musical instrument cases shall be stored in the music room or<br />
designated storage areas.<br />
• Athlec bags and gear shall be stored in either the student’s<br />
locker, assigned physical educaon locker, or designated<br />
storage area, as appropriate.<br />
If any student is determined to be in violaon of this policy, the school<br />
administrator will take correcve acon, including, but not limited to<br />
the following:<br />
• Requiring the student to place the item in his/her locker.<br />
• Taking reasonable steps to nofy the parent.<br />
• Iniang progressive disciplinary acon for repeated<br />
violaons or insubordinaon as appropriate, which may<br />
include suspension from school.<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Search and Seizure<br />
The principal or assistant principal may make a reasonable search<br />
of a student, including the search of a student’s backpack or other<br />
belongings, on the school premises if he or she has a reasonable belief<br />
that the student is in possession of an item, the possession of which is<br />
a criminal offense under the laws of this state or a rule or policy of the<br />
Board of Educaon. This search shall be made in the presence of a third<br />
party.<br />
A principal or assistant principal may make a reasonable search of a<br />
student on the school premises or on a school-sponsored trip if the<br />
searcher has a reasonable belief that the student has in the student’s<br />
possession an item, the possession if which is:<br />
• A criminal offense under the laws of this State; or<br />
• A violaon of:<br />
- Any other state law; or<br />
- A rule or regulaon of the local school Board<br />
• A search authorized above shall be made in the presence of a third<br />
party.<br />
It is a violaon of the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> School regulaons for a<br />
student to possess either:<br />
- Any illegal item; or<br />
- Any item used to disrupt or interfere with the school<br />
environment.<br />
SAFE SCHOOLS<br />
Drug Detecng Dogs In Secondary <strong>Schools</strong><br />
The Board of Educaon of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> permits the use of drug<br />
detecng dogs in secondary schools. Drug detecng dogs may be used<br />
in school buildings and on school parking lots during the day when<br />
students are present. Drug detecng dogs may be used randomly or at<br />
the request of the principal based on reasonable suspicion that drugs<br />
might be in the school. Under no circumstances will a drug detecng<br />
dog be used to sniff any individual person. When, in the opinion of the<br />
dog’s handler, a drug detecng dog has alerted on a locker or other<br />
property in the school, a search may be conducted by the principal or<br />
his/her designee. When, in the opinion of the dog’s handler, a drug<br />
detecng dog has alerted on a vehicle, a search may be conducted by a<br />
police officer. <strong>Student</strong>s who are in possession of controlled dangerous<br />
substances and other items that constute a violaon of the policies<br />
of the Board of Educaon will be disciplined in accordance with the<br />
appropriate procedures.<br />
16
Emergency Preparedness Planning<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>, in cooperaon with the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
Division of Emergency Operaons, parcipates in planning for various<br />
types of emergency situaons such as fires, natural disasters, air<br />
polluon, and ulity disrupon. In the event of any type of emergency<br />
that disrupts normal schedules at schools, noficaon will be provided<br />
through the automated phone system, commercial radio and television<br />
staons. See page 3 for the complete list of noficaon procedures.<br />
Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment, or Inmidaon<br />
Bullying, cyberbullying , harassment, or inmidaon are prohibited<br />
and not tolerated by the students, volunteers or employees of <strong>Harford</strong><br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>.<br />
If you believe your child has been the vicm of bullying, harassment,<br />
or inmidaon, you are asked to complete a Bullying, Cyberbullying,<br />
Harassment, or Inmidaon Reporng Form and return it to the<br />
principal at the student vicm’s school. The form is available on the<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> School website, www.hcps.org, or at any school.<br />
Contact the school for addional informaon or assistance.<br />
Prohibion of Gang Related Acvies<br />
Definions<br />
• Gang means any ongoing organizaon, associaon or group of<br />
three or more students, whether formal or informal, having as<br />
one of its primary acvies the commission of criminal acts or<br />
violaons of school discipline policies and having a common<br />
name or common idenfying signs, colors or symbols or having in<br />
common an overt or covert organizaonal or command structure.<br />
• School Sponsored Acvies means any event or funcon<br />
authorized, supervised and controlled by <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong><br />
<strong>Schools</strong> or the school’s administraon.<br />
Gang acvity means:<br />
1. Solicing, with or without coercion, membership in or affiliaon<br />
with any gang;<br />
2. Painng, wring or otherwise inscribing gang related graffi,<br />
messages, symbols or signs on school property;<br />
3. Engaging in violence, extoron or any other illegal act or other<br />
violaon of school discipline policies in furtherance of criminal<br />
gang acvity;<br />
4. Solicing any person to engage in physical violence against<br />
another person in furtherance of gang acvity;<br />
5. Wearing, possessing, using, distribung, displaying or selling<br />
any clothing, jewelry, emblem, badge, symbol or items which<br />
evidence membership in, idenficaon with or affiliaon with<br />
any gang and/or is representave of any gang;<br />
6. Engaging in any act, either verbal or nonverbal, including<br />
gestures or handshakes which demonstrate membership or<br />
affiliaon in any gang and/or is representave of any gang.<br />
7. Violang the provision of Secon 9-803 of the Criminal Law<br />
Arcle of the Maryland Annotated Code.<br />
If you have any informaon about gang acvity you are asked to report<br />
it to the principal or complete a Gang-Related Incident Reporng Form<br />
and return it to the school principal. The form is available on the school<br />
system website, www.hcps.org, or at any school.<br />
Planning For Incidents At The Peach Boom Power Staon<br />
In the event of an incident at the Peach Boom Atomic Power Staon,<br />
plans have been made to increase the safety of public school students<br />
at schools within 10 miles of Peach Boom. The following home schools<br />
are within the 10 mile radius and could possibly be evacuated to a host<br />
school. The host schools are:<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> within Ten Miles of Peach Boom Host <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Darlington Elementary<br />
Meadowvale Elementary<br />
Dublin Elementary<br />
Churchville Elementary<br />
North <strong>Harford</strong> Elementary<br />
North Bend Elementary<br />
North <strong>Harford</strong> Middle<br />
Hickory Elementary<br />
North <strong>Harford</strong> High<br />
C. Milton Wright High<br />
In the event of an incident at the Peach Boom Atomic Power Staon<br />
which requires the evacuaon of a school, students will be transported<br />
by bus directly to the HOST school. If such evacuaon is ordered,<br />
noficaon will be publicized by radio and television staons, and<br />
through the automated telephone system.<br />
Parents or authorized persons are to meet their children at the assigned<br />
school. Parents are urged not to telephone schools or aempt to make<br />
different arrangements. This will only create confusion. Parents are<br />
requested not to pick up their children at the HOME school, but to meet<br />
their children at the HOST school.<br />
Parents or other persons authorized to pick up a student will be<br />
required to provide idenficaon at the pick-up point and sign a<br />
register prior to the release of a student to their custody.<br />
Portable Communicaon Policy<br />
Portable communicaon devices provide the ability to send and receive<br />
informaon ulizing radio frequencies.<br />
Such devices include, but are not limited to, cell phones, pagers,<br />
personal data assistants (PDA), laptop computers with cellular/phone<br />
capability, and two-way radios.<br />
Instruconal use of wireless communicaon devices in <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> shall be determined in accordance with the needs of<br />
students as jointly agreed upon by the student’s parent/guardian and<br />
school. The parent and school shall, in accordance with the student’s<br />
individual educaon plan or as jointly established, agree upon the<br />
use of a wireless communicaon device by a student with specific<br />
educaonal concerns or disabilies.<br />
The Board of Educaon prohibits the use of certain wireless<br />
communicaon devices, which in its opinion, have limited or no<br />
educaonal value or their use creates learner distracon and learning<br />
environment disrupon.<br />
In light of this concern, the Board of Educaon prohibits student<br />
possession of pagers on school property at all mes.<br />
The Board of Educaon permits high school students to possess cell<br />
phones during the regular school day (as noted below); however,<br />
students are prohibited from using cell phones during the regular<br />
school day for any reason. <strong>Student</strong> possession of cell phones shall<br />
conform to the following restricons:<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s shall not use cell phones or otherwise be capable of<br />
17
eceiving an acvaon signal at any me while riding any form<br />
of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> provided transportaon.<br />
• During the course of the regular school day for students, cell<br />
phones shall not be used to transmit or receive calls and shall<br />
be turned off or rendered incapable of acvaon.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s enrolled in high schools only may possess Portable<br />
Communicaon Devices (PCD) on school grounds and buses during the<br />
regular school day provided:<br />
• the student keeps and maintains the PCD so it cannot be seen<br />
by others;<br />
• the student does not use or acvate the PCD in any fashion.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s enrolled in high schools only may use a PCD on school grounds<br />
(but not on buses) before the regular school day and aer the regular<br />
school day.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s who violate the above restricons shall be deemed to have<br />
created a disrupon to the instruconal environment and be subject to<br />
appropriate disciplinary acon.<br />
Nondiscriminatory Pracces<br />
The Board is commied to providing an environment that is safe<br />
and opmal for academic achievement and producve work acvity<br />
and free from any form of unlawful discriminaon. Any act of<br />
discriminaon, as defined herein, commied by a member of the school<br />
community is a violaon of this policy. <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />
will invesgate all complaints of discriminaon and/or harassment and<br />
will take appropriate disciplinary or other acon against any member<br />
of the school community who is found to have commied any act of<br />
discriminaon as defined herein.<br />
Personal Property<br />
Personal property that is brought into the school by students is not<br />
covered under the insurance of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>. Please<br />
contact your homeowner’s insurance company regarding any valuable<br />
items, such as musical instruments, for off-premise coverage. <strong>Student</strong>s/<br />
parents should evaluate the personal items that are brought to school.<br />
Also, students should take the me to permanently mark personal<br />
items so they are clearly idenfiable. Personal computers are not<br />
permied in schools.<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Accident Insurance Program<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> insurance does not cover student injuries<br />
due to accidents at school or during school-sponsored acvies such as<br />
physical educaon, aer school sports, and field trips. At the beginning<br />
of each school year, <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> provides parents<br />
with informaon on a voluntary accident insurance program. For<br />
students who are not covered by a family health or accident insurance<br />
plan or for families who wish to supplement their exisng coverage,<br />
parents should consider this student accident insurance which:<br />
• Is available to parents or guardians of all <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong><br />
<strong>Schools</strong> students;<br />
• Provides low-cost accident insurance for students; and<br />
• Is available either on a full year, 24-hour basis, school me only,<br />
for football coverage and extended dental coverage.<br />
You may obtain informaon and enroll online at<br />
www.studennsurance-kk.com. If you have any quesons, contact the<br />
Risk Management Office at 410-588-5286.<br />
SPECIAL EDUCATION<br />
The Special Educaon program is designed to provide support to<br />
students with educaonal disabilies, so that they are successful in<br />
aaining the outcomes of the general curriculum. For students with<br />
intensive needs, alternave plans are developed to help them achieve<br />
life skills and goals that are defined through the Individual Educaon<br />
Program (IEP) process.<br />
Special Educaon services for students with disabilies are based<br />
on students’ IEPs and are designed to complement the general<br />
educaon curriculum. The alignment of IEP goals and benchmarks<br />
with the general educaon content standards supports the students’<br />
parcipaon in the Maryland State Assessment program. The IEP guides<br />
the implementaon of modificaons and accommodaons ulized to<br />
enable the students to access the general educaon curriculum. The<br />
IEPs for students with more intensive needs support parcipaon in the<br />
Alternave Maryland State Assessment program.<br />
Services are available for all students ages birth through 21, as<br />
appropriate. There is a full connuum of services to meet the needs<br />
of students with educaonal disabilies in the least restricve<br />
environment. These services are provided in all the community schools.<br />
The needs of students with significant medical and educaonal needs<br />
may be met at John Archer School or in other educaonal placements.<br />
Infants and toddlers ages birth to three can access a variety of services<br />
to meet their individual needs through the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> Infants and<br />
Toddlers Program in conjuncon with the Early Childhood Programming<br />
opons.<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> operates regional programs for children<br />
with special needs. The children aend programs with instrucon<br />
provided by special educators to address communicaon and/<br />
or other areas idenfied on the IEP. <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />
provides inerant services including but not limited to: speech/<br />
language therapy, occupaonal therapy, physical therapy, hearing and<br />
vision services, community-based instrucon, work experience, and<br />
assisve technology. All services are provided in accordance with the<br />
students’ IEPs to assist the student to benefit from specially designed<br />
instruconal programs.<br />
“Child Find”- a Search for Children in Need of Special Educaon<br />
Services<br />
“Child Find” is the name given to the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>’<br />
campaign to locate children who are in need of special educaon.<br />
This special project is designed to idenfy all children from birth<br />
through the age of 20 who have special educaon needs and to provide<br />
them with special educaon and related services. Children’s needs are<br />
idenfied through a variety of evaluaon procedures.<br />
If you know of any child from birth through age 20 who may be in need<br />
of special educaon services, call 410-638-4386 and ask for the “Child<br />
Find” contact.<br />
STUDENT DISCIPLINE<br />
I. Definions<br />
• In-school suspension means the exclusion within the school<br />
building of a student from the student’s regular educaon program<br />
for up to but not more than, ten school days for disciplinary<br />
reasons by the school principal.<br />
• Short-term suspension means the removal of a student from<br />
school for up to but not more than ten school days for disciplinary<br />
reasons by the principal.<br />
• Extended suspension means the temporary exclusion of a student<br />
from school for a specified period of me longer than 10 school<br />
18
days by the superintendent of schools or his/her designee.<br />
Depending on the length of the suspension, the student will<br />
either be permied to make up work lost during the suspension<br />
period or, in the case of secondary students, be required to enroll<br />
in and sasfactorily complete the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>’<br />
Alternave Educaon Program. A suspension late in the school<br />
year, if of significant length, may be extended to the next school<br />
year.<br />
• Expulsion means, at a minimum, the removal of the student from<br />
the student’s regular school program for an indefinite period of<br />
me during which no educaon services are provided. <strong>Student</strong>s<br />
who are expelled do have the right to seek reinstatement.<br />
• School-sponsored event includes all intraschool and interschool<br />
student acvies which are a part of the school’s overall program,<br />
and are under the supervision and control of school authories.<br />
These acvies include but are not limited to the following:<br />
field trips; athlec, music, and theatrical events; club meengs;<br />
intramurals, student exchange programs; conferences; dances;<br />
class trips; and all other acvies under the general supervision<br />
and control of school authories.<br />
• Verbal or physical threat means either verbal or physical conduct<br />
which places a school employee in reasonable fear of a physical<br />
aack as defined below whether or not such physical aack occurs.<br />
• Physical aack means an intenonal harmful or offensive physical<br />
touching of a school employee or touching, whether intenonal or<br />
unintenonal, of a school employee who is intervening in a fight or<br />
other disrupve acvity.<br />
• Dangerous weapons shall include, but are not limited to, the<br />
following: any firearm of any kind, whether loaded or unloaded,<br />
operable or inoperable, including any object which is a look-alike of<br />
a firearm, even though incapable of operaon; knives of any kind<br />
(including, but not limited to, a switchblade knife, a star knife, a<br />
dirk knife, a hunng knife); a straight razor; a spiked glove, spiked<br />
wristband, or spiked ring; metal knuckles; nunchaku; explosive<br />
devices; chemical mace; tear gas; or pepper spray.<br />
• Arson/fire means to set, aempt or aid to set fire to or burn a<br />
school building or other school property.<br />
II. General Procedures<br />
A. The Board of Educaon has established the following policies<br />
and procedures to govern (1) verbal or physical threat and/or<br />
physical aack on staff; (2) dangerous weapons; (3) arson/fire; (4)<br />
controlled dangerous substances, medicines, alcohol, and inhalants<br />
or other intoxicants; (5) wireless communicaon devices; (6)<br />
tobacco products; (7) sexual harassment; and (8) other maers of<br />
student behavior which will apply to all students in every school.<br />
These policies and procedures are in effect while students are on<br />
any property of the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> or while they are<br />
parcipang in any school-sponsored event or acvity.<br />
B. In addion to these policies, the school principal has the right<br />
and authority to discipline students including suspension and<br />
referral to the superintendent of schools for further acon for other<br />
behaviors including but not limited to physical aack on a student,<br />
verbal or physical threat to a student, fighng, extoron, bullying,<br />
sexual assault, sexual acvity, false alarms/bomb threats, explosives,<br />
disrespect, insubordinaon, harassment, classroom disrupon,<br />
incing or parcipang in a disturbance, academic dishonesty/<br />
cheang, the, trespassing, unauthorized sale or distribuon,<br />
vandalism/destrucon of property, and refusal to obey school rules.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s who commit aendance related violaons are subject to<br />
school-based disciplinary consequences, but may not receive out-ofschool<br />
suspension.<br />
C. The superintendent may deny aendance to any student who is<br />
currently expelled from another school system for a length of me<br />
equal to that expulsion. Also, informaon relang to the discipline of<br />
a student, including informaon on an expulsion of a student, will be<br />
forwarded to another school system upon request.<br />
III. Behavior Which Has Taken Place Off School Property<br />
A. <strong>Student</strong>s may be disciplined, including suspension or expulsion,<br />
for behavior which has taken place off school property and/<br />
or beyond the school day. If the behavior is determined by the<br />
principal to impact the educaonal environment of the school,<br />
the safety and/or welfare of other students and/or staff, and/or<br />
the maintenance of school order and discipline, the principal may<br />
suspend the student for up to 10 school days. If the nature and<br />
severity of the off-school property behavior warrants it, the principal<br />
may refer the student to the office of the superintendent of schools<br />
with the recommendaon for further disciplinary acon. If the<br />
superintendent concurs with the findings of the principal, a longterm<br />
suspension/expulsion may be imposed.<br />
B. Behavior which has taken place off school property and/or<br />
beyond the school day for which a student may be subject to school<br />
disciplinary procedures includes, but is not limited to: comming or<br />
aempng to commit murder, rape, assault with a deadly weapon,<br />
a serious assault, robbery, threat or extoron, arson, distribuon<br />
and/or sale of controlled dangerous substances or alcohol, other<br />
criminal acons, or other acons which could be subject to criminal<br />
prosecuon by law enforcement or juvenile authories whether or<br />
not prosecuon has or does take place.<br />
IV. Restuon<br />
If a student is determined to have violated these discipline policies<br />
or a school regulaon and in the course of that violaon damaged<br />
or destroyed school property or the property of another on school<br />
property, the principal shall require the student or the student’s<br />
parent to make restuon. The restuon may not exceed $2,500.<br />
The principal may assign the student to a school work project if the<br />
principal determines that this is an appropriate means to provide<br />
restuon for all or a part of the damage to property.<br />
V. <strong>Student</strong> Possession, Use, or Transference of Controlled Dangerous<br />
Substances, Medicines, and Alcohol<br />
The Board of Educaon of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> is commied to promong<br />
and providing a drug-free academic environment for all students and<br />
providing appropriate safeguards with respect to the administraon<br />
of prescripon medicaon and over-the-counter products, and<br />
believes that collaboraon with parents and the larger community is<br />
essenal to achieving a drug-free environment. School system efforts<br />
to deter the use of alcohol and other drugs by students will include a<br />
comprehensive program designed to inform students of the negave<br />
effects of alcohol and other drug use, to provide parents referral<br />
informaon on evaluaon and treatment services related to student<br />
use of alcohol and other drugs, as well as appropriate consequences<br />
for students who violate this policy.<br />
A. Definions<br />
• Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) - controlled dangerous<br />
substances include, but are not limited to, the substances listed<br />
in Title 5 of the Criminal Law Arcle. In addion, substances<br />
include medicine not registered with the school nurse, which<br />
are intended, implied, or are thought to produce the same or<br />
similar effects as substances listed in Title 5 are also regarded as<br />
controlled dangerous substances.<br />
• Medicine - any preparaon used in treang disease or illness.<br />
This includes prescripon and over-the-counter drugs.<br />
• Inhalant or Other Intoxicant - any compound or substance (such<br />
19
as glue and solvents) which may cause a loss of self-control or<br />
inebriaon.<br />
• Material Evidence – CDS, alcohol, inhalants or other intoxicants,<br />
substances misrepresented to be drugs or alcohol, medicine not<br />
registered with the school nurse, and/or paraphernalia used in<br />
taking controlled dangerous substances.<br />
• Paraphernalia – items which are commonly used for the purpose<br />
of the ingeson of drugs. Typical paraphernalia would include<br />
but are not limited to pipes for the smoking of marijuana,<br />
manufactured paper, homemade clips or wire-formed devices<br />
used for holding marijuana “roaches,” gelan capsules,<br />
measuring spoons, scales, strainers, and other items as defined<br />
by law.<br />
• Substance Misrepresented - a substance which a student leads<br />
others to believe is a controlled dangerous substance, or thinks<br />
to be a controlled dangerous substance, implies is a controlled<br />
dangerous substance or will produce the effects of a controlled<br />
dangerous substance.<br />
• Transference - to pass to another person or to make reasonably<br />
available to another person a controlled dangerous substance<br />
or medicine or alcohol or paraphernalia or a substance<br />
misrepresented.<br />
B. Over - the - Counter and Prescripon Medicaons<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s are not permied to possess or use prescribed or overthe-counter<br />
medicaon on school buses or on school property.<br />
All medicaon must be properly registered, stored with, and<br />
administered by designated school personnel. Excepons to this<br />
arcle, with supporng documentaon from the student’s physician,<br />
may be granted by the director of student services or his/her<br />
designee. Violaon of this rule will result in disciplinary acon to the<br />
student, with a parent conference available immediately to clarify this<br />
policy.<br />
A second violaon will result in a 10 school-day suspension of the<br />
student by the principal and a referral to the superintendent of<br />
schools with a recommendaon for further disciplinary acon.<br />
C. Suspected impairment<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s who are suspected to be under the influence of a<br />
prescripon or over the counter drug, controlled dangerous<br />
substance, alcohol, or an inhalant or other intoxicant will be referred<br />
to the principal of the school. If the invesgaon of the maer yields<br />
no material evidence, but if the principal has reasonable cause to<br />
suspect that the student is impaired the principal will contact the<br />
student’s parents/guardians and a mandatory conference will be<br />
held. The superintendent of schools will be advised in wring of the<br />
incident and of the results of the parent conference.<br />
VI. Offenses subject to referral<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s shall receive a ten day suspension and referral to the<br />
superintendent of schools with the recommendaon for further<br />
disciplinary acon for certain offenses/violaons including but not<br />
limited to the following:<br />
A. Possession of, using, or under the influence of a controlled<br />
dangerous substance, alcohol, an inhalant or other intoxicant, or to<br />
be in possession of paraphernalia or a substance misrepresented to<br />
be a controlled dangerous substance or alcohol.<br />
If the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the student agree to parcipate in<br />
a substance abuse evaluaon at the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> Mental Health<br />
and Addicons/Adolescent Addicon Services and agree to follow<br />
the recommendaons for treatment made as part of that evaluaon,<br />
at no cost to the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>, the superintendent<br />
of schools will reduce the length of the suspension which would<br />
otherwise be imposed. This opon is for a first offense only and will<br />
not be offered for transference or a second offense of the CDS and<br />
alcohol policies. Further, this opon is conngent upon the connuing<br />
availability of funding to the <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> Mental Health and<br />
Addicons/Adolescent Addicon Services to enable that agency to<br />
provide this service.<br />
B. Transference of a controlled dangerous substance, medicine,<br />
alcohol, an inhalant or other intoxicant, or paraphernalia, or<br />
substance misrepresented to be a controlled dangerous substance,<br />
medicine, alcohol, an inhalant or other intoxicant or paraphernalia.<br />
C. Verbal or Physical Threat and/or Physical Aack on Staff<br />
D. Dangerous Weapons<br />
Possession or using an object which reasonably could cause<br />
physical harm or injury to a person, or an object which is<br />
represented to be and a reasonable person would conclude was<br />
a dangerous weapon, and for which there is no reasonable or<br />
legimate cause for the student to possess or use on the property<br />
of <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> or at a school-sponsored acvity.<br />
Further, in compliance with the Gun-Free <strong>Schools</strong> Act of 1994 and<br />
Secon 7-305 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, a student who<br />
has been determined by the superintendent of schools to have<br />
brought a firearm onto school property may be expelled for a<br />
minimum of 365 consecuve days. The Superintendent of <strong>Schools</strong><br />
may specify, on a case-by-case basis, a shorter period of expulsion<br />
for a student who has brought a firearm onto school property. Any<br />
student expelled under the provisions of the Gun-free <strong>Schools</strong> Act<br />
of 1994 will not be permied to enroll in the Alternave Educaon<br />
Program. <strong>Student</strong>s served under an IEP or 504 plan may not be<br />
subject to this provision.<br />
E. Arson/Fire<br />
Aempng to, aiding in, or seng fire to a building or other school<br />
property.<br />
STUDENTPARENT SURVEY TO IDENTIFY FEDERALLY<br />
CONNECTED STUDENTS<br />
Each year, <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> seeks informaon from<br />
parents which is important to the system in its long-range planning<br />
and its applicaon for federal financial assistance. This informaon is<br />
requested on a form known as the student-parent survey form.<br />
What kind of informaon is needed?<br />
The survey form, which your student brings home in October of<br />
each year, includes quesons about the locaon of your residence,<br />
the number of children of school age in your home, your place of<br />
employment, the name of your employer, and your work locaon.<br />
Why is this informaon needed?<br />
This informaon enables the school system to predict student yields<br />
from the various types of residences in the county. These data are<br />
important for planning future school building needs. Also, the place<br />
of your employment and work locaon are needed to determine how<br />
many persons are connected with the federal government. Each year<br />
the school system is entled to an appropriaon of funds based on the<br />
number of federally-connected children in the school system. These<br />
funds are made available through <strong>Public</strong> Law 874, “Impact Aid.”<br />
What is Impact Aid?<br />
The presence of federal installaons in <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> brings addional<br />
children to the community for which the public schools must provide<br />
educaonal programs. Since federal properes are exempt from local<br />
property taxaon, the federal government provides funds which<br />
parally pay for the educaon of these addional students. The<br />
amount of funds received is based on the results of the survey and the<br />
20
aendance of those students idenfied as “federally connected.”<br />
TRANSPORTATION<br />
School bus transportaon is provided for <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> public<br />
elementary school students who live more than one mile from their<br />
school and for public secondary school students who live more than<br />
one and one half miles from their school.<br />
Excepons to this distance requirement may be made for students with<br />
disabilies and where exceponal or hazardous walking condions<br />
exist. Inquiries concerning these<br />
excepons should be directed<br />
to the Transportaon Office at<br />
410-638-4092.<br />
School bus transportaon will be<br />
withdrawn from a student who<br />
is excluded from the classroom<br />
as a result of a condion that<br />
presents a clear and direct<br />
health risk to others. (Examples: head lice, measles, fever and voming<br />
in school, etc.)<br />
Transportaon Rules For <strong>Student</strong>s<br />
The following transportaon rules apply to all students riding school<br />
buses to and from <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>. In addion, all other<br />
policies adopted by the Board of Educaon regarding student behavior<br />
on school property will be enforced on <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>’<br />
buses.<br />
1. <strong>Student</strong>s must follow direcons from the driver the first me they<br />
are given. The driver shall be in full charge of the school bus and<br />
the students, except in the presence of a teacher/administrator,<br />
who shall then be in charge of the students.<br />
2. Insubordinaon or disrespect to the driver or aendant will not<br />
be tolerated.<br />
3. <strong>Student</strong>s will sit in the seats, which have been assigned to them<br />
by the driver, the principal, or their designee. <strong>Student</strong>s must<br />
remain in their seats at all mes when the bus is in moon.<br />
Changing seats any me during the run is prohibited.<br />
4. <strong>Student</strong>s may converse in a normal manner; but loud, profane, or<br />
obscene language or gestures will not be permied<br />
5. With the excepon of their books, bookbags, and school<br />
equipment, such as musical instruments or gym bags, students<br />
may not transport other items on the bus without the permission<br />
of the driver. Books, bookbags, and other school equipment<br />
should be held by the student. No books or other objects are to<br />
be placed in the bus aisle. Books and other school equipment<br />
must be of a size that can be controlled in the seat by the<br />
student.<br />
6. <strong>Student</strong>s must not extend any part of their bodies through bus<br />
windows. <strong>Student</strong>s must face forward at all mes and keep their<br />
arms and legs out of the aisle. Sping or tossing objects on or out<br />
of the bus is prohibited.<br />
7. <strong>Student</strong>s must not aempt to board or to get off the bus while it<br />
is in moon.<br />
8. <strong>Student</strong>s should cooperate in keeping the bus clean and must not<br />
damage it. Any malicious or willful damage to a school bus will<br />
result in the immediate withdrawal of transportaon services for<br />
the students involved, unl the cost of repairing the bus has been<br />
sasfactorily seled.<br />
9. <strong>Student</strong>s may not eat, drink, or chew gum on the bus.<br />
10. <strong>Student</strong>s may not play electronic devices on the bus unless<br />
approved by the driver.<br />
11. <strong>Student</strong>s suspended from the school may not ride the bus while<br />
they are on suspension.<br />
12. <strong>Student</strong>s may not leave the bus on the way to or from school<br />
without the permission of the driver. The driver will not give<br />
permission except in case of personal emergency on the part of<br />
the student, or upon wrien request from the principal.<br />
13. <strong>Student</strong>s are permied to ride only the bus to which they are<br />
assigned, ulizing their designated bus stop, which serves the<br />
area in which they live. Requests from parents for the students<br />
to ride other buses in an emergency may be considered by school<br />
officials.<br />
14. <strong>Student</strong>s must be at the bus stop at least five minutes before the<br />
scheduled arrival me of the bus.<br />
15. No glass items or live animals (except those assisng the<br />
handicapped) are to be transported on buses.<br />
16. <strong>Student</strong>s shall not use cell phones or otherwise be capable of<br />
receiving an acvaon signal at anyme while riding any form of<br />
transportaon provided by <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>.<br />
17. <strong>Student</strong>s violang the transportaon rules will be reported to the<br />
principal or the assistant principal and transportaon services<br />
may be restricted or withdrawn.<br />
Transportaon Discipline Procedures<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s who are assigned to ride <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> buses<br />
must assume certain responsibilies. Misconduct, carelessness, and<br />
thoughtlessness are hazardous to the safe operaon of the school bus.<br />
The bus is an integral part of the total school program; and the driver,<br />
who is an adult in a posion of authority, must insist on appropriate<br />
behavior.<br />
Each student will receive a copy of the “Transportaon Rules for<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s.” These rules will be reviewed and interpreted for the students<br />
on an annual basis by school personnel. Violaon of these rules will<br />
be reported to the school principal. When a principal is advised of a<br />
violaon of the “Transportaon Rules for <strong>Student</strong>s” and where the<br />
principal determines, as a result of their invesgaon, that a violaon<br />
of the “Transportaon Rules for <strong>Student</strong>s” has occurred, the following<br />
opons shall be ulized by the principal:<br />
REFERRAL 1 - Mandatory parent contact and, if appropriate, withdrawal<br />
of transportaon services for not less than five school days or not less<br />
than 20 school days or not less than 90 school days.<br />
REFERRAL 2 - Mandatory parent contact and, if appropriate, withdrawal<br />
of transportaon services for not less than five school days and, if<br />
appropriate, for not less than 20 school days or not less than 90 school<br />
days.<br />
REFERRAL 3 - Mandatory parent contact and, if appropriate, withdrawal<br />
of transportaon services for not less than 20 school days and, if<br />
appropriate, for not less than 90 school days.<br />
REFERRAL 4 - Mandatory parent contact and, if appropriate, withdrawal<br />
of transportaon services for not less than 90 school days.<br />
Withdrawal of transportaon services for a day shall be defined as a day<br />
that school is in session.<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s and their parents should be aware that misbehavior on school<br />
buses may also have other serious consequences. Specifically, violaon<br />
of the “Transportaon Rules for <strong>Student</strong>s” may result in a suspension<br />
from school. Furthermore, any act by a student, which contributes to a<br />
school bus accident, will be reported to the police officer invesgang<br />
the incident.<br />
Parental Transportaon<br />
Parents who choose to drop their child off at the school are responsible<br />
for the safety of their child unl the school is open for students. Parents<br />
who are not aware of the me that students are allowed to enter the<br />
school must contact their respecve school directly for the informaon.<br />
The school will share normal opening mes as well as late opening<br />
mes with the parent.<br />
21
Transportaon Responsibilies of Parents<br />
Each parent has a definite role in the safe and efficient operaon<br />
of a school’s transportaon system. If the transportaon program,<br />
as a whole, is to funcon effecvely, the parents must assume their<br />
responsibilies to the program and extend cooperaon and support to<br />
the people charged with its operaon.<br />
Parents should be aware that the privilege to ride a school bus may be<br />
temporarily or permanently revoked if the “Transportaon Rules for<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s” are violated.<br />
Parents are responsible for the safety of their children from the me<br />
they leave home in the morning unl the me they board the school<br />
bus and, at the end of the school day, from the me the school bus<br />
departs the bus stop and the children reach home. During the midday,<br />
adult supervision is required for pre-K students’ bus dismissal. Once the<br />
child enters the school bus, the responsibility lies with the bus driver<br />
and the school administraon. In order to ensure the safe and efficient<br />
operaon of the student transportaon program, parents must also<br />
accept the responsibilies to:<br />
1. Cooperate with the school authories and the school bus driver in<br />
promong safe and efficient services for all passengers.<br />
2. Insist upon good behavior on the part of their children while riding<br />
the school bus.<br />
3. Insist that their children occupy the seats, which have been<br />
assigned to them.<br />
4. Instruct their children as to their responsibility for damages caused<br />
to the property of others, including the school bus.<br />
5. Inform their children that they should arrive at the designated<br />
school bus stop five minutes before the scheduled arrival me of<br />
the school bus.<br />
6. Make suggesons to the school principal or to the director of<br />
transportaon for improvements in the transportaon program.<br />
7. Walk with younger children to and from the school bus stop, using<br />
this opportunity to teach the children proper pedestrian pracces.<br />
If the parents cannot accompany their children, arrangements<br />
should be made, if possible, for older children (brothers, sisters, or<br />
neighbors) to escort the younger children to and from the school<br />
bus stop or school.<br />
8. Encourage their children to obey all traffic rules, signs, and signals.<br />
9. Set an example for their children by their own safety pracces.<br />
10. Understand that unauthorized persons, including parents, are not<br />
allowed to board the school bus under any circumstances.<br />
Magnet Program and Alternave Educaon Transportaon Guidelines<br />
A consolidated stop system for school bus transportaon is ulized for<br />
all students aending <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> Magnet Programs<br />
and Alternave Educaon<br />
• Parents are responsible for the safety of the student from the me<br />
they leave home in the morning unl the me they board the<br />
school bus, and at the end of the school day, from the me the<br />
school bus departs the bus stop and the student reaches home.<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s who live within walking distance of their neighborhood<br />
elementary, middle or high school meet their bus at the local<br />
school.<br />
• Stops for developments are located at the entrance of the<br />
development.<br />
• Magnet and Alternave Educaon students are required to be at<br />
their bus stop 10 minutes prior to the stated pick-up me.<br />
• The school needs to have the student’s current address and<br />
phone number. Changes cannot be given to the Transportaon<br />
Department or bus driver by the parent, student, or guardian.<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s not ulizing morning bus service for a period of 10<br />
consecuve school days will be dropped from the morning bus<br />
route to provide the shortest ride me for students who are<br />
ulizing bus service.<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s not ulizing aernoon bus service for a period of 10<br />
consecuve school days will be dropped from the aernoon bus<br />
route to provide the shortest ride me for students who are<br />
ulizing bus service.<br />
• Parents are responsible for contacng the school to restart bus<br />
service, once a student has been dropped from the bus route due<br />
to lack of use.<br />
• <strong>Student</strong>s are permied only to ride the bus they are assigned,<br />
ulizing their designated bus stop.<br />
• On inclement weather days (even when schools are on me) buses<br />
may be delayed.<br />
TITLE IX COMPLAINT PROCEDURES<br />
Title IX of the Educaonal Amendments of 1972 states in part:<br />
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded<br />
from parcipaon in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to<br />
discriminaon under any educaonal program or acvity receiving<br />
Federal financial assistance.”<br />
In accordance with the regulaons of Title IX, the Board of Educaon of<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> has adopted Title IX complaint procedures for students,<br />
parents, and employees. The purpose of the procedures is to secure<br />
equitable soluons to problems deriving from the implementaon of<br />
Title IX and other laws dealing with sex discriminaon.<br />
A. Complaints alleging discriminaon on the basis of sex shall be<br />
submied to the Title IX coordinator in accordance with <strong>Harford</strong><br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> administrave procedures relang to Title IX<br />
complaints.<br />
B. A complainant shall file a complaint within 90 days of the date the<br />
alleged act of disability discriminaon occurred.<br />
C. The Title IX coordinator shall aempt to informally resolve a<br />
complaint within 30 days of the receipt of same.<br />
D. If an informal resoluon cannot be reached, the Title IX<br />
coordinator shall issue a wrien decision seng forth in concise<br />
fashion his/her decision regarding the complaint and the reasons<br />
for the decision. Such wrien decision shall be issued within 60<br />
days of receipt of the complaint.<br />
E. All decisions of the Title IX coordinator may be appealed to the<br />
superintendent pursuant to Secon 4-205 of the Educaon Arcle<br />
of the Maryland Annotated Code.<br />
F. The complaint procedure described herein is in addion to any<br />
other administrave or judicial acon the complainant may pursue.<br />
For quesons, contact the director of community engagement, equity<br />
and cultural proficiency, 410-809-6065, who also serves as the Title IX<br />
Coordinator for <strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>.<br />
WELLNESS POLICY<br />
The Board of Educaon is commied to maintaining school<br />
environments that promote and protect student health by providing<br />
appropriate nutrion educaon, physical educaon, a variety of healthy<br />
food and beverages. The Wellness Policy is available online.<br />
22
PHONE DIRECTORY<br />
Has your child encountered a problem at his/her school? First, call the teacher and/or principal. If the problem remains<br />
unresolved, or, if you have other quesons, listed below are important phone numbers.<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> Central Office: 410-838-7300 (local) * 1-866-588-4963 (Toll Free)<br />
7-1-1 TTY for Hearing Impaired<br />
Aberdeen Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-273-5510<br />
Aberdeen High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-273-5500<br />
Abingdon Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-638-3910<br />
Alternave Educaon Center . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-273-5594<br />
Bakerfield Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . .410-273-5518<br />
Bel Air Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-4160<br />
Bel Air Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-4140<br />
Bel Air High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-4600<br />
C. Milton Wright High School . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-4110<br />
Church Creek Elementary School . . . . . . . . . 410-273-5550<br />
Churchville Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . 410-638-3800<br />
Darlington Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-3700<br />
Deerfield Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-612-1535<br />
Dublin Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..410-638-3703<br />
Edgewood Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . .410-612-1540<br />
Edgewood Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-612-1518<br />
Edgewood High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-612-1500<br />
Emmorton Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-3920<br />
Fallston Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-4129<br />
Fallston High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-638-4120<br />
Forest Hill Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-638-4166<br />
Forest Lakes Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . 410-638-4262<br />
Fountain Green Elementary School . . . . . . . .410-638-4220<br />
George D. Lisby Elementary School . . . . . . . 410-273-5530<br />
Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary School . . . . . 410-273-5524<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> Glen Outdoor Educaon Center . . . 410-638-3903<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> Technical High School . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-3804<br />
Havre de Grace Elementary School . . . . . . . .410-939-6616<br />
Havre de Grace Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . 410-939-6608<br />
Havre de Grace High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-939-6600<br />
Hickory Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-4170<br />
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary School . .410-638-4175<br />
Human Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 410-588-5238<br />
Jarresville Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . .410-692-7800<br />
John Archer School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-638-3810<br />
Joppatowne Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . 410-612-1546<br />
Joppatowne High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-612-1510<br />
Magnolia Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-612-1553<br />
Magnolia Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-612-1525<br />
Meadowvale Elementary School . . . . . . . . . 410-939-6622<br />
Norrisville Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-692-7810<br />
North Bend Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . .410-692-7815<br />
North <strong>Harford</strong> Elementary School . . . . . . . . .410-638-3670<br />
North <strong>Harford</strong> Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-638-3658<br />
North <strong>Harford</strong> High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-3650<br />
Office of Elementary School Performance. . . 410-588-5207<br />
Office of Middle School Performance. . . . . . 410-588-5228<br />
Office of High School Performance. . . . . . . . 410-588-5228<br />
Paerson Mill Middle/High School . . . . . . . . 410-638-4640<br />
Prospect Mill Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-3817<br />
Psychological Services, <strong>Student</strong> Services . . . 410-588-5334<br />
Aberdeen Office 410-273-5514<br />
Bel Air Office 410-638-4143<br />
Edgewood Office 410-612-1521<br />
Fallston Office 410-638-4124<br />
Havre de Grace Office 410-939-6612<br />
Magnolia Office 410-612-1531<br />
North <strong>Harford</strong> Office 410-638-3662<br />
Paerson Mill Office 410-638-4215<br />
Southampton Office 410-638-4153<br />
Hickory Elem. (Child Find) 410-638-4386<br />
Red Pump Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-4252<br />
Ring Factory Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . 410-638-4186<br />
Riverside Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410-612-1560<br />
Roye-Williams Elementary School . . . . . . . .. 410-273-5536<br />
Safety & Security Department . . . . . . . .. 410-638-4242<br />
Special Educaon Department. . . . . . . . . . . .410-588-5246<br />
Southampton Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-4150<br />
Transportaon Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410-638-4092<br />
William Paca Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . .410-612-2033<br />
Old Post Road Elementary School . . . . . . . . .410-612-1566<br />
William S. James Elementary School . . . . . . .410-638-3900<br />
Youth’s Benefit Elementary School . . . . . . . . 410-638-4190<br />
Volunteer Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Your local school<br />
Maryland Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-800-422-0009<br />
23
2012<br />
Kamden Punte * Grade K * William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2012<br />
August 1-31: Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
July 2012<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7<br />
8 9 10 11 12 13 14<br />
15 16 17 18 19 20 21<br />
22 23 24 25 26 27 28<br />
29 30 31<br />
September 2012<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1<br />
2 3 4 5 6 7 8<br />
9 10 11 12 13 14 15<br />
16 17 18 19 20 21 22<br />
23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />
30<br />
1 2 3 4<br />
5 6 7 8 9 10 11<br />
12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
19 20<br />
New Teachers<br />
on Duty<br />
21<br />
New Teachers<br />
on Duty<br />
22<br />
All Teachers<br />
on Duty<br />
23<br />
All Teachers<br />
on Duty<br />
24<br />
All Teachers<br />
on Duty<br />
25<br />
First Quarter/ First<br />
Semester Begins<br />
26 27 28 29 30 31<br />
Opening of<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> for<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s<br />
K-12<br />
(Kindergarten will<br />
follow gradual entrance<br />
schedule)<br />
Opening of<br />
<strong>Schools</strong><br />
for Pre-K<br />
<strong>Student</strong>s<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Aug. 1: Fast in Honor of Holy Mother of Jesus (Orthodox Chrisan); Lammas (Chrisan)<br />
Aug. 6: Transfiguraon of the Lord (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
Aug. 14: Lailat al Kadr* (Islam)<br />
Aug. 15: Assumpon of Virgin Mary (Catholic Chrisan); Dormion of the Theotokos (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
Aug. 19-21: Eid al Fitr* (Islam)<br />
Aug. 29: Beheading of John the Bapst (Chrisan)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.<br />
g
2012<br />
Nathan Chica * Grade 9 * Fallston High School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2012<br />
September 1-30: Library Card Sign-Up Month<br />
September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
August 2012 October 2012<br />
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6<br />
5 6 7 8 9 10 11<br />
12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
19 20 21 22 23 24 25<br />
26 27 28 29 30 31<br />
7 8 9 10 11 12 13<br />
14 15 16 17 18 19 20<br />
21 22 23 24 25 26 27<br />
28 29 30 31<br />
1<br />
2 3 4 5 6 7 8<br />
# LABOR DAY<br />
<strong>Schools</strong><br />
& Offices<br />
CLOSED<br />
9 Grandparents’ Day<br />
10 11<br />
Patriot Day<br />
12 13 14 15<br />
Internaonal<br />
Literacy Day<br />
Administraon<br />
of the<br />
American College<br />
Test (ACT)<br />
Mexican<br />
Independence<br />
Day<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
16<br />
Mayflower Day<br />
Internaonal<br />
17 18 19 20 21 22<br />
Day of Peace<br />
First Day of<br />
Autumn<br />
# Rosh Hashanah<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> CLOSED<br />
Magnet Program Video &<br />
Informaonal Presentaon<br />
NHHS 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.<br />
23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
# Yom Kippur<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> CLOSED<br />
Magnet Program Video &<br />
Informaonal Presentaon<br />
ABHS 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.<br />
30<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Sept. 1: Ecclesiascal Year begins (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
Sept. 8: Navity of Mary (Chrisan)<br />
Sept. 14: Elevaon of the Life Giving Cross - Holy Cross Day (Chrisan)<br />
Sept. 17-18: Rosh Hashanah* (Judaism)<br />
Sept. 22: Equinox; Mabon (Wicca, Northern Hemisphere); Ostara (Wicca, Southern Hemisphere)<br />
Sept. 26: Yom Kippur* (Judaism)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.
2012<br />
Jade McDonnell * Grade 12 * Havre de Grace High School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2012<br />
October 1-31: Crime Prevenon Month, Czech Heritage Month, Italian American Heritage & Culture Month, Polish American Heritage Month<br />
SUNDAY TUESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
Child Health Day<br />
Video &<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Algebra<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
English<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Biology<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Make-up for all<br />
subjects<br />
Naonal Metric Columbus Day/<br />
7 Week (7-13) 8 9 10 11 12 13<br />
Discoverers’ Day<br />
Magnet Program<br />
Informaonal<br />
Presentaon HTHS<br />
6:30-8:30 p.m.<br />
Administraon<br />
of the Scholasc<br />
Assessment Test<br />
(SAT)<br />
Fire Prevenon<br />
Week (7-13)<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
Magnet Program Video &<br />
Informaonal Presentaon<br />
EDHS 6:30-8:30 p.m.<br />
14 15 16 17 18 19 20<br />
Naonal<br />
Naonal School Lunch<br />
Week (15 - 19)<br />
Naonal School<br />
United Naons<br />
21<br />
Character<br />
Red Ribbon<br />
22 Bus Safety<br />
23 24 25 26 27<br />
Counts Week<br />
(21-27)<br />
Week (22 -26)<br />
Week (23-31)<br />
Day<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
# MD STATE<br />
EDUCATION<br />
ASSOCIATION<br />
CONVENTION<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> CLOSED<br />
Administraon of<br />
the Preliminary<br />
Scholasc<br />
Assessment Test<br />
(PSAT)<br />
Make a<br />
Difference<br />
Day<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
28 29 30 31<br />
Natural Resources &<br />
Agricultural Sciences at NHHS<br />
Open House 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.<br />
September 2012<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1<br />
2 3 4 5 6 7 8<br />
9 10 11 12 13 14 15<br />
16 17 18 19 20 21 22<br />
23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />
30<br />
Administraon<br />
of the<br />
American College<br />
Test (ACT)<br />
November 2012<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3<br />
4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
11 12 13 14 15 16 17<br />
18 19 20 21 22 23 24<br />
25 26 27 28 29 30<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Oct. 4: Saint Francis Day (Catholic Chrisan)<br />
Oct. 1-7: Sukkot* (Judaism)<br />
Oct. 8: Shemini Atzeret* (Judaism); Thanksgiving (Canada, Interfaith)<br />
Oct. 20: Birth of the Bab* (Baha’i); Installaon of Scriptures as Gukru Granth - Sikh<br />
Oct. 25: Waqf al Arafa - Hajj Day* (Islam)<br />
Oct. 28: Milvian Bridge Day (Chrisan); Reformaon Day (Protestant Chrisan)<br />
Oct. 31: All Hallows Eve (Chrisan)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.
2012<br />
Sara Young * Grade 7 * Havre de Grace Middle School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2012<br />
November 1-30: Naonal Nave American Heritage Month<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
October 2012<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6<br />
7 8 9 10 11 12 13<br />
14 15 16 17 18 19 20<br />
21 22 23 24 25 26 27<br />
28 29 30 31<br />
December 2012<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1<br />
2 3 4 5 6 7 8<br />
9 10 11 12 13 14 15<br />
16 17 18 19 20 21 22<br />
23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />
30 31<br />
Second Quarter<br />
First Quarter Ends<br />
1 2 3<br />
Global Studies/Internaonal<br />
Baccalaureate Programme<br />
Open House *- EDHS<br />
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.<br />
Daylight Savings<br />
4 Time Ends 5 PROF. DEV. 6 7 Begins 8 9 10<br />
<strong>Harford</strong> Technical High<br />
School Open House 5:30 -<br />
8:00 p.m.<br />
Veterans Day<br />
11 12 13 14 15 16 17<br />
American Educaon<br />
Week (11-17)<br />
(NOTE: See your school<br />
for daily schedule of<br />
acvies.)<br />
Naonal Family<br />
18 19 20 21 22 23 24<br />
Week (18-24)<br />
# TEACHER<br />
<strong>Schools</strong><br />
CLOSED<br />
for students<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
# General<br />
Elecon Day<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> &<br />
Offices<br />
CLOSED<br />
Science & Mathemacs<br />
Academy at ABHS Open<br />
House 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.<br />
# TEACHER<br />
PROF. DEV.<br />
<strong>Schools</strong><br />
CLOSED<br />
for students<br />
Report Cards<br />
Distributed<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
Administraon<br />
of the Scholasc<br />
Assessment Test<br />
(SAT)<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
# THANKSGIVING<br />
EVE<br />
2-hour Early<br />
Dismissal<br />
# THANKSGIVING<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> &<br />
Offices<br />
CLOSED<br />
# THANKSGIVING<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> &<br />
Offices<br />
CLOSED<br />
25 26 27 28 29 30<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Nov. 1: All Saint’s Day (Chrisan); Samhain Beltane* (Wicca/Pagan; Northern and Southern hemispheres)<br />
Nov. 2: All Soul’s Day (Catholic Chrisan)<br />
Nov. 11-15: Deepavali (Hindu)<br />
Nov. 15: Hijra New Year (Islam); Navity Fast (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
Nov. 21: Yule (Chrisan)<br />
Nov. 22: Thanksgiving Day (Interfaith)<br />
Nov. 25: Christ the King (Chrisan)<br />
Nov. 26: Day of the Covenant* (Baha’i)<br />
Nov. 30: Saint Andrew’s Day (Chrisan)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.
2012<br />
Paige Quill * Grade 11 * C. Milton Wright High School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
November 2012<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3<br />
4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
11 12 13 14 15 16 17<br />
18 19 20 21 22 23 24<br />
25 26 27 28 29 30<br />
January 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4 5<br />
6 7 8 9 10 11 12<br />
13 14 15 16 17 18 19<br />
20 21 22 23 24 25 26<br />
27 28 29 30 31<br />
2012<br />
Pearl Harbor Day<br />
2 3 4 5 6 7 8<br />
1<br />
Administraon<br />
of the Scholasc<br />
Assessment Test<br />
(SAT)<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
9 10 Human Rights Day<br />
11 12 13 14 15<br />
Administraon<br />
of the<br />
American College<br />
Test (ACT)<br />
Bill of Rights Day<br />
First Day of Winter<br />
16 17 18 19 20 21 22<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />
# CHRISTMAS EVE<br />
Observance<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> &<br />
Offices CLOSED<br />
# CHRISTMAS<br />
Observance<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> &<br />
Offices CLOSED<br />
# WINTER BREAK - SCHOOLS CLOSED<br />
30 31<br />
# WINTER<br />
BREAK-<br />
SCHOOLS<br />
CLOSED<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Dec. 2: Advent (Chrisan)<br />
Dec. 8: Rohatsu (Buddhist); Immaculate Concepon of Mary (Catholic Chrisan)<br />
Dec. 9-16: Hanukkah* (Juddaism)<br />
Dec. 25: Christmas* (Chrisan); Feast of the Navity (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
Dec. 26: Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrain)<br />
Dec. 26 - Jan. 1: Kwanza<br />
Dec. 28: Holy Innocents (Chrisan)<br />
Dec. 30: Feast of the Holy Family (Catholic Chrisan)<br />
Dec. 31: Watch Night (Chrisan)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.
2013<br />
Germarys Sanago Alverez * Grade 1 * Joppatowne Elementary<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2013<br />
December 2012<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1<br />
2 3 4 5 6 7 8<br />
9 10 11 12 13 14 15<br />
16 17 18 19 20 21 22<br />
23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />
30 31<br />
FRIDAY<br />
1 2 3 4 5<br />
# New Year’s Day<br />
Observance<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> &<br />
Offices CLOSED<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> Reopen<br />
Aer Winter<br />
Break<br />
SATURDAY<br />
6 7 8 9 10 11 12<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Algebra<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
English<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Biology<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Government<br />
First Semester/<br />
13 14 15 16 17 18 Second Quarter<br />
19<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Make-up for<br />
Algebra<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Make-up for<br />
English<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Make-up for Biology,<br />
Government<br />
20 21 22 23 24 Semester/Third<br />
25 26<br />
# MARTIN LUTHER<br />
KING, JR.’S BIRTHDAY<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> & Offices<br />
CLOSED<br />
# TEACHER PROF.<br />
DEV.<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> CLOSED<br />
for students<br />
#TEACHER PROF.<br />
DEV.<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> CLOSED<br />
for students<br />
Second<br />
Quarter Begins<br />
Ends<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
Administraon<br />
of the Scholasc<br />
Assessment Test<br />
(SAT)<br />
27 28 29 30 31<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
February 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2<br />
3 4 5 6 7 8 9<br />
10 11 12 13 14 15 16<br />
17 18 19 20 21 22 23<br />
24 25 26 27 28<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Jan. 1: Mary, Mother of God(Catholic Chrisan); Feast of St. Basil (Orthodox Chrisan); Gantan-sai, New Years (Shinto); Holy Name<br />
of Jesus (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
Jan. 6: Epiphany (Chrisan); Feast of the Theophany (Orthodox Chrisan); Dia de los Reyes (Chrisan); Navity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)<br />
Jan. 7: Navity of Christ (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
Jan. 15: World Religion Day (Baha’i)<br />
Jan. 17: Blessing of the Animals (Hispanic Catholic Chrisan)<br />
Jan. 18-25: Week of Prayer for Chrisan Unity (Chrisan)<br />
Jan. 24: Mawlid an Nabi (Islam)<br />
Jan. 25: Conversion of Saint Paul (Chrisan)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.
2013<br />
Jackson Reed * Grade 4 * Abingdon Elementary School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2013<br />
February 1-28: Naonal African American History Month, Naonal Children’s Dental Health Month<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
January 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4 5<br />
6 7 8 9 10 11 12<br />
13 14 15 16 17 18 19<br />
20 21 22 23 24 25 26<br />
27 28 29 30 31<br />
March 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2<br />
3 4 5 6 7 8 9<br />
10 11 12 13 14 15 16<br />
17 18 19 20 21 22 23<br />
24 25 26 27 28 29 30<br />
31<br />
Naonal Freedom<br />
1 2<br />
3 4 5 6 7 8 9<br />
Day<br />
Report Cards<br />
Distributed<br />
Groundhog Day<br />
10 11 12 13 14 15 16<br />
Administraon<br />
of the<br />
American College<br />
Test (ACT)<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
17 18 19 20 21 22 Washington’s<br />
23<br />
# PRESIDENTS<br />
DAY<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> &<br />
Offices<br />
CLOSED<br />
George<br />
Birthday<br />
24 25 26 27 28<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Feb. 2: Candlemas (Chrisan); Presentaon of Christ in the Temple (Anglican Chrisan); Saint Brighid of Kildare (Celc Chrisan); Imbolc and<br />
Sughassad* (Wicca/Pagan)<br />
Feb. 10: Transfiguraon Sunday (Chrisan); Chinese New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)<br />
Feb. 12: Shrove Tuesday (Chrisan)<br />
Feb. 13: Ash Wednesday - Lent begins through March 23 (Chrisan)<br />
Feb. 14: Valennes Day (Chrisan); Nirvana Day (Buddhist)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.
2013<br />
Angela Wood * Grade 7 * Edgewood Middle School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2013<br />
March 1-31: NEA’s Read Across America, American Red Cross Month, Irish American Heritage Month, Music in Our <strong>Schools</strong> Month,<br />
Naonal Middle Level Educaon Month, Naonal Nutrion Month, Social Work Month, Women’s History Month and Youth Art Month<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
February 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2<br />
3 4 5 6 7 8 9<br />
10 11 12 13 14 15 16<br />
17 18 19 20 21 22 23<br />
24 25 26 27 28<br />
Naonal Foreign<br />
April 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6<br />
7 8 9 10 11 12 13<br />
14 15 16 17 18 19 20<br />
21 22 23 24 25 26 27<br />
28 29 30<br />
1 2<br />
Internaonal<br />
3 4 Language Week 5 6 7 8 Women’s Day 9<br />
(4-10)<br />
Naonal School<br />
Breakfast<br />
Week (4-8)<br />
MSA Math & Reading Tesng Grades 3 - 8<br />
Daylight Savings<br />
10 Time<br />
11 12 13 14 15 16<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
MSA Reading & Math Tesng<br />
Grades 3 - 8<br />
MSA Reading & Math Make-Up Tesng<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
17 18 19 20<br />
First Day of Spring<br />
21 22 23<br />
Administraon<br />
of the Scholasc<br />
Assessment Test<br />
(SAT)<br />
MSA Reading & Math Make-Up Tesng<br />
Third Quarter Ends<br />
24 25 26 27 28 29 30<br />
31<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Mar. 17: St. Patrick’s Day (Chrisan)<br />
Mar. 19: St. Joseph’s Day (Chrisan)<br />
Mar. 23: Lazarus Saturday (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
Mar. 24: Orthodox Sunday (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
Palm Sunday (Chrisan)<br />
Mar. 25: Annunciaon of the Blessed Virgin (Chrisan)<br />
Mar. 26-27: Pesach - Passover* (Judaism)<br />
# GOOD FRIDAY<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> &<br />
Offices CLOSED<br />
Mar. 28: Maunday Thursday (Chrisan); Hola Mohalla<br />
(Sikh); Birth of the Prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroastrian)<br />
Mar. 29: Good Friday (Chrisan)<br />
Mar. 31: Easter (Chrisan)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. NOTE: For more<br />
information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.<br />
p<br />
g
2013<br />
Glenn Gamble * Grade 12 * Edgewood High School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2013<br />
April 1-30: Naonal Poetry Month<br />
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
Fourth Quarter<br />
1 2 * 3 * 4 Begins 5 6<br />
# SPRING Break<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> CLOSED<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> Reopen<br />
Aer Spring<br />
Break<br />
Report Cards<br />
Distributed<br />
7 8 9 10 11 12 13<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
MSA Science Test Admin. - Grades 5 - 8<br />
Administraon<br />
of the<br />
American College<br />
Test (ACT)<br />
14 15 16 17 18 19 20<br />
Naonal<br />
Environmental<br />
Educaon Week<br />
Naonal<br />
Library Week<br />
(14-20)<br />
Special Senior<br />
Admin. High School<br />
Assessment - Algebra<br />
MSA Science Test Admin. - Grades 5 - 8<br />
Special Senior<br />
Admin. High School<br />
Assessment - English<br />
Special Senior<br />
Admin. High School<br />
Assessment - Biology<br />
Special Senior<br />
Admin. High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Make-Up<br />
21 22<br />
Earth Day<br />
Naonal Arbor<br />
23 24 25 26 Day<br />
27<br />
Naonal<br />
Volunteer/<strong>Public</strong><br />
School Volunteer<br />
Week (21-27)<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
MSA Science Test Admin. - Grades 5 - 8<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
28 29 30<br />
# TEACHER PROF.<br />
DEV.<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> CLOSED<br />
for students<br />
* *<br />
# TEACHER PROF.<br />
DEV.<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> CLOSED<br />
for students<br />
March 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2<br />
3 4 5 6 7 8 9<br />
10 11 12 13 14 15 16<br />
17 18 19 20 21 22 23<br />
24 25 26 27 28 29 30<br />
31<br />
May 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4<br />
5 6 7 8 9 10 11<br />
12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
19 20 21 22 23 24 25<br />
26 27 28 29 30 31<br />
*<br />
Indicated Inclement Weather Make-up Day. For informaon on HCPS inclement weather policy, see page 5.<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Apr. 2: Pesach - Last two days* (Judaism)<br />
Apr. 7: Yom HaSoah * (Judaism)<br />
Apr. 11: Hindu New Year (Hindu)<br />
Apr. 11-20: Ramayana (Hindu)<br />
Apr. 15: Yom Ha’Atzmaut * (Judaism)<br />
Apr. 21: First Day of Ridvan* (Baha’i)<br />
Apr. 23: St. George Day (Chrisan)<br />
Apr. 28: La B’ Omer* (Judaism)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.
2013<br />
Clara Hohenberger * Grade 11 * <strong>Harford</strong> Technical High School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
May 1-31: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Beer Hearing and Speech Month, Naonal Physical Fitness<br />
and Sports Month, Preservaon Month<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
April 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6<br />
7 8 9 10 11 12 13<br />
14 15 16 17 18 19 20<br />
21 22 23 24 25 26 27<br />
28 29 30<br />
2013<br />
June 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1<br />
2 3 4 5 6 7 8<br />
9 10 11 12 13 14 15<br />
16 17 18 19 20 21 22<br />
23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />
30<br />
1 Educaon & 2 3 4<br />
Registraon of PreK/<br />
Kindergarten students<br />
Naonal Music<br />
National School<br />
5 Week (5-12) 6 Library Week 7 8 Nurse Day 9 10 11<br />
Teacher<br />
Appreciaon<br />
Week (5-11)<br />
Naonal<br />
(8-14)<br />
Naonal Physical<br />
Sports Week (1-7)<br />
Advanced Placement Exams<br />
Administraon<br />
of the Scholasc<br />
Assessment Test<br />
(SAT)<br />
12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
Advanced Placement Exams<br />
19 20 21 22 23 24 25<br />
Armed Forces<br />
Day<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Algebra<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
English<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Biology<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Government<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
26 27<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
27 28 29 30 31<br />
# MEMORIAL DAY<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> & Offices<br />
CLOSED<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Algebra<br />
(Make-Up)<br />
May 2: Naonal Day Prayer (Interfaith)<br />
May 3: Holy Friday (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
May 5: Easter/Pascha (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
May 9: Ascension Day (Chrisan)<br />
May 19: Pentecost (Chrisan)<br />
May 26: Trinity Sunday (Chrisan)<br />
May 30: Corpus Chris (Catholic Chrisan)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date.<br />
NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
English<br />
(Make-Up)<br />
High School<br />
Assessment -<br />
Biology (Make-Up)<br />
Commencement<br />
Exercise - JAS
2013<br />
Katrina Ngo * Grade 5 * Prospect Mill Elementary School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2013<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
June 1-30: Great Outdoors Month, Caribbean American Heritage Month<br />
May 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4<br />
5 6 7 8 9 10 11<br />
12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
19 20 21 22 23 24 25<br />
26 27 28 29 30 31<br />
July 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6<br />
7 8 9 10 11 12 13<br />
14 15 16 17 18 19 20<br />
21 22 23 24 25 26 27<br />
28 29 30 31<br />
Commencement<br />
2 3 4 Exercises - 5 Exercises - 6 Exercises - 7 Exercises - 8<br />
ABHS, BAHS &<br />
EDHS<br />
Commencement<br />
NHHS, CMWHS<br />
& JOHS<br />
Commencement<br />
FAHS, PMHS, &<br />
HDHS<br />
Commencement<br />
Alt. Ed & HTHS<br />
1<br />
Administraon<br />
of the Scholasc<br />
Assessment Test<br />
(SAT)<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> close at end of<br />
day for PreK students<br />
Elementary Early<br />
Dismissal: students<br />
dismissed<br />
2 1/2 hours early<br />
Administraon<br />
of the<br />
American College<br />
Test (ACT)<br />
Second Semester/<br />
9 10 11 Fourth Quarter Ends<br />
12 13 14 Flag Day<br />
15<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
First Day of<br />
16 17 18 19 20 21 22<br />
Summer<br />
LAST STUDENT DAY<br />
LAST DAY FOR<br />
TEACHERS<br />
Report Cards<br />
Distributed<br />
23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />
30<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
June 5: Lailat al Miraj * (Islam)<br />
June 7: Sacred Heart of Jesus (Catholic)<br />
June 13: Ascension of Jesus (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
June 29: Saints Peter and Paul (Chrisan)<br />
June 30: All Saints (Orthodox Chrisan)<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date.<br />
NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.<br />
REMINDER<br />
Inclement weather days/emergency system-wide closings cannot be<br />
predicted. It is recommended that vacaons not be scheduled unl aer<br />
June 17th to avoid scheduling conflicts.<br />
NOTE: This calendar contains the potenal for 188 student days -- eight more than the<br />
state minimum requirement of 180 days. If schools are closed eight days or more due<br />
to emergency condions, weather related or otherwise, it may be necessary to alter<br />
the school calendar. The calendar may be reduced if emergency days are not needed to<br />
meet the state mandated minimum required days.<br />
p<br />
g
2013<br />
Zandro Calderon * Grade 10 * Aberdeen High School<br />
notes<br />
www.hcps.org
2013<br />
June 1 - July 4 Fireworks Safety Month<br />
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6<br />
# INDEPENDENCE<br />
DAY<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> & Offices<br />
CLOSED<br />
SATURDAY<br />
7 8 9 10 11 12 13<br />
14 15 16 17 18 19 20<br />
Board of Educaon<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Meeng<br />
A.A. Roberty Bldg.<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
21 22 23 24 25 26 27<br />
28 29 30 31<br />
INTERFAITH HOLIDAYS<br />
July 9: Ramadan begins * (Islam)<br />
July 22: Asalhka Puja Day **(Buddhist)<br />
July 24: Pioneer Day (Mormon Chrisan)<br />
June 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1<br />
2 3 4 5 6 7 8<br />
9 10 11 12 13 14 15<br />
16 17 18 19 20 21 22<br />
23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />
30<br />
August 2013<br />
S M T W T F S<br />
1 2 3<br />
4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
11 12 13 14 15 16 17<br />
18 19 20 21 22 23 24<br />
25 26 27 28 29 30 31<br />
#Key events should not be scheduled.<br />
*Holy Days usually begin at sundown the day before this date.<br />
NOTE: For more information on interfaith holidays, visit www.interfaithcalendar.org.
2013-2014<br />
August 2013<br />
19M-20Tu<br />
New Teachers on Duty<br />
21W-23F<br />
All Teachers on Duty<br />
26M Opening of <strong>Schools</strong> for <strong>Student</strong>s Grades K-12<br />
28W<br />
Opening of <strong>Schools</strong> for Pre-K <strong>Student</strong>s<br />
September 2013<br />
2M<br />
Labor Day - <strong>Schools</strong> & Offices Closed<br />
5Th<br />
Rosh Hashanah - <strong>Schools</strong> Closed<br />
20F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
October 2013<br />
18F<br />
Maryland State Educaon Convenon - <strong>Schools</strong> Closed<br />
25F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
31Th<br />
Teacher Staff Development/Elementary Conference Day - <strong>Schools</strong> Closed for <strong>Student</strong>s<br />
November 2013<br />
1F<br />
Teacher Staff Development/Elementary Conference Day - <strong>Schools</strong> Closed for <strong>Student</strong>s<br />
15F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
27W<br />
Thanksgiving Holiday - All <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 Hours Early<br />
28Th, 29F<br />
Thanksgiving Holiday - <strong>Schools</strong> & Offices Closed<br />
December 2013<br />
13F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
23M<br />
Winter Holiday- <strong>Schools</strong> Closed<br />
24T<br />
Christmas Eve- <strong>Schools</strong> & Offices Closed<br />
25W<br />
Christmas Day- <strong>Schools</strong> & Offices Closed<br />
26Th - 31T<br />
Winter Holidays - <strong>Schools</strong> Closed<br />
January 2014<br />
1W<br />
New Year’s Day - <strong>Schools</strong> & Offices Closed<br />
2Th<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> Reopen Aer Winter Holidays<br />
17F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
20M<br />
Marn Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday - <strong>Schools</strong> & Offices Closed<br />
21Tu, 22W<br />
Teacher Staff Development Days - <strong>Schools</strong> Closed for <strong>Student</strong>s<br />
February 2014<br />
14F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
17M<br />
Presidents Day - <strong>Schools</strong> & Offices Closed<br />
March 2014<br />
21F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
April 2014<br />
*14M-*15Tu<br />
Teacher Staff Development Days - <strong>Schools</strong> Closed for <strong>Student</strong>s<br />
*16W, 17Th, 18F & 21M Spring Vacaon - <strong>Schools</strong> Closed<br />
25F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
May 2014<br />
16F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - Elementary <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
26M<br />
Memorial Day - <strong>Schools</strong> & Offices Closed<br />
June 2014<br />
5Th<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> Close at the End of the Day for Pre-K <strong>Student</strong>s<br />
6F<br />
Elementary Early Dismissal - <strong>Student</strong>s Dismissed 2 ½ Hours Early<br />
13F<br />
Last Possible <strong>Student</strong> Day<br />
18W<br />
Last Possible Teacher Day<br />
*Indicate potenal inclement weather make - up days for students: April 14th, 15th & 16th<br />
REMINDER<br />
Inclement weather days/emergency<br />
system-wide closings cannot be<br />
predicted. It is recommended that<br />
vacaons not be scheduled unl<br />
aer June 13th to avoid scheduling<br />
conflicts.<br />
NOTE: This calendar contains the potenal for 187 student days -- seven more than the state minimum requirement of 180 days. If schools are<br />
closed seven days or more due to emergency condions, weather related or otherwise, it may be necessary to alter the school calendar. The<br />
calendar may be reduced if emergency days are not needed to meet the state mandated minimum required days.<br />
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