LAKEWOOD MONTESSORI MIDDLE SCHOOL

HANDBOOK

2017-2018

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 LAKEWOOD MONTESSORI MIDDLE SCHOOL HANDBOOK 2017-2018

As a Montessori school, we emphasize the total development of the child; therefore, while at Lakewood
Montessori Middle School, all community members -- students, parents, and teachers -- are expected to work
together to foster learning, growth, and development. We recognize the following responsibilities:
● Students are expected to attend school and class daily, to be actively involved in their learning, to
complete all class and homework assignments, and to conduct themselves appropriately and politely.
● Parents are expected to support our educational endeavors by monitoring their child’s attendance,
participation, homework, behavior, & community service; attending community and school activities;
and volunteering when possible.
● Teachers are expected to provide each student with the highest quality of instruction available in order
to help each person develop intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically.

AGENDA BOOK
We require all students to use an LMMS agenda book. We provide all students with a free agenda book at the
beginning of the school year. If students lose their agenda book we require that students purchase a
replacement copy for $7. It is an important means of communication between school and home as well as a Commented [1]: ?
place for students to record their assignments and projects.

● Parents should check and initial the planner daily. In addition to assignments students are encouraged
to document all important school/community events.
● Parents should help their child learn to use the planner efficiently. At the beginning of the year, develop
good habits. Spend a few minutes each evening looking through the planner. Add important family
events and check over homework assignments.
● Parents are encouraged to write notes to teachers in their child’s planner. The agenda is a great
communication tool. Feel free to write the teacher a note or ask a question in the agenda book.

CONFERENCES
Student-Led Conferences
Students present their work to their families during Student-Led Conferences. Students and their parents
discuss the child’s work during the term with teachers available to clarify and assist. Each community will host
two Student Led Conference times during the school year. Please note that this is not a parent/teacher Commented [2]: ?
conference time.

Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
Maria Montessori believed in adolescents taking responsibility for their actions and their learning. In keeping
with her philosophy we require student to be present in all conferences regarding their performance at school. Commented [3]: ?
Students, parents, or teachers may ask for a conference at any time during the year. It is important that
appointments are kept and that all people involved in the conference arrive on time.

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SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY
Students should bring a clear reusable water bottle (filled with water only) to class. Therefore, leaving class for
a drink of water is not permitted. Students may also bring fresh fruits and vegetables to class. Good choices
are apples, grapes, bananas, baby carrots, celery sticks, and the like. Gum and candy are not permitted.

SCHOOL ROUTINES
Rationale: Montessori students and teachers establish procedures that lead to independence and respect.

BEGINNING OF THE DAY

Students can enter the building at 7:10. Students are to head directly to class or cafeteria if they are eating
breakfast. Students are expected to be seated in their classroom and ready to work NO LATER THAN 7.30 AM
when the bell rings for the day. Please be mindful that students need to go to their lockers, use the bathroom,
and attend to some other tasks prior to taking a seat in their classroom and should be dropped off no later
than 7:20.

LOCKER USE
Homeroom teachers will assign each student an individual school locker. Only school locks may be used.
Students may not share lockers. Lockers are the property of the school and the school system. There is a
$10.00 replacement cost for lost locks. Students are expected to use their lockers prior to the warning bell in Commented [4]: ?
the morning, during their communities assigned locker time, and at the end of the day. Students should remove
the items needed for their morning class and store coats/jackets, book bags, hats, lunches, after-school
snacks, gum/candy, electronic items (including phones), and other such items in their lockers. Students are
not permitted to go to their locker for forgotten materials during class.

RESTROOM USE
Students are expected to be in class on time and for the entire period to make good use of instructional time.
However, it is understood that students occasionally may need to be excused from class to use the restroom
for emergencies only. Students should make excellent use of time between classes to use the restroom. In
order to leave the room for the restroom, students need to have the restroom pass, located in the front of the
planner, signed by an adult in their community.

Students should not use the restroom during elective class times. These classes are shorter and class time
cannot be missed. Instead, there is time to use the restroom in the move between classes. They should notify
the adult supervising the change of classes so as not to be marked tardy.

Hallways – All Lakewood Montessori Middle students are expected to walk quickly and quietly on the right side
of the hallway as they move from place to place. This serves to minimize disruptions of classes that are in
session and eliminates student tardiness to class.

Lunch – Lunches must be kept in lockers until lunchtime. Students should use the restroom during their lunch
period, not when they are expected to return to class. Any food saved from lunch is to be stored in the locker
until the end of the day.

Lost and Found-Articles found in the halls or restrooms should be placed in the Lost and Found box outside
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the glass house. Students should not bring anything to school that they cannot afford to lose. Unclaimed items
will be donated to a local charity every couple of weeks.

Cell Phone and Portable Electronic Devices- Mobile phones, iPods, mp3 players, PSPs, electronic games,
cameras, and other electronic devices that would cause disruption to the educational process or school
functions are prohibited. If students choose to bring these items to school they must be in the OFF position
and secured in their locker for the duration of the school day. If a staff member sees a student with any
electronic device, it will be confiscated and the student will be referred to the office. These items will be held at
the office until a parent can pick them up. Lakewood Montessori Middle School is not responsible for lost or
stolen electronic devices.

Absent Work
It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and complete all work missed due to any absence.

DRESS CODE
Rationale: A Montessori students job is learning to dress like a professional.

Dress Code-It is expected that students dress in a style that is conducive to learning. The dress code applies to
the school day (including coming to school and leaving school). The dress code applies to ALL school-
sponsored events, including field studies, sports, music presentations, and on-site events unless
communicated otherwise.

We ask that students follow the following points in order to dress modestly and respectfully:
● Undergarments & midriff (front and back) must be covered at all times.
● Pants must cover undergarments and must be worn at the waist.
● No muscle shirts or jerseys with gaping openings around the arms. (Wearing a t-shirt under a jersey is
appropriate if necessary.)
● No spaghetti straps, strapless, backless tops, low-cut tops, tube, or halter-tops.
● Straps on shirts must be at least 2 in. wide.
● No extremely low necklines (no cleavage)
● Shorts/skirts must reach below the length of the fingertips (arms extended down straight to the side).
● No offensive remarks may be printed on any article of clothing, jewelry, backpacks, etc (i.e. advertising
of alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, weapons, etc.)
● Head gear should not be worn inside the building. This includes hats, scarves, durags, bandanas and
the like.
● Leggings must be worn with a top, skirt, or shorts that reaches below the length of the fingertips.

Students dressed inappropriately will be asked to contact their parent for a change of clothing.

ABSENCES AND TARDIES

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Rationale: Montessori students recognize the importance of participation and value their time in the
classroom.

Absence - Students are required by law to attend school daily unless absent due to illness, death in the
immediate family, religious holiday, or other reasons approved by the community teachers/principal. When a
student is absent, the parent is asked to send in written documentation upon the student’s return to school.
Absence for any other reason is considered an unexcused absence. Examples of unexcused absences are
missing the bus, oversleeping, and car trouble.

Absent Work - It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and complete all work missed due to any absence.
Students have one day per each absence to make up the work for full credit.

Extended Absence and Work - In cases of extended absence, please notify the community teachers and our
data manager, Mrs. Melvin. A packet of work can be prepared to help the student stay up-to-date on his/her
work.

LMMS Tardy Policy- Academic success is directly correlated to attendance. Teachers, administrators,
students, and parents must work together to ensure that students are present and on time to school and class
each day. It is also imperative that students stay until the conclusion of the school day. School staff will
monitor tardies to school and teachers will monitor student tardies to class. The following consequences will
be implemented:

Unexcused Tardies to School-After 5 unexcused tardies to school the Principal or designee will notify parents
to attend a Truancy Court hearing. Any additional tardies to school may warrant further disciplinary action.

Excused Tardies include, but are not limited to, doctor appointments, and extreme family emergencies with
proper documentation. Unexcused Tardies include but are not limited to: oversleeping, alarm did not go off,
missed bus, late carpool.

Unexcused Tardies to Class:

● 1st Offense: Teacher Assigned Warning

● 2nd Offense: Teacher Contacts Parent
● 3rd Offense: Teacher Assigned Disciplinary Action
● 4th Offense: Office Discipline Referral
Tardies to class are accrued and documented in each class per semester. The slate is cleared at the beginning
of the second semester.

Note: Any student arriving to class more than 5 minutes tardy without a written excuse or pass will be referred
to the office for skipping class.

Chronic and Unexcused Absenteeism/Tardiness – The School Counselor and/or teachers will intervene if
students exhibit a pattern of absenteeism/tardiness. An after-school detention will be assigned upon the third
absence or tardy per term. Subsequent consequences could include additional detentions, a parent
conference, assignment to Saturday School, referral to the school social worker, and/or citation to court.

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 DISMISSAL
Rationale: Montessori students and parents take responsibility for planning ahead.

Dismissal from School – Students are expected to help restore the classroom environment before they are
dismissed to their lockers and from school. The ending bell rings at 2:20 P.M. All car riders should be picked
up NO LATER than 2:40 pm. Students will not be supervised after 2:40 pm.

Transportation Changes- All changes in transportation need to be made NO LATER than 1:00 pm.

Early Check Out- In order to protect instructional time and our end of the day routine, if you need to check your
student out of school early please do so by 2:00 pm. If you arrive after 2:00 pm you will be asked to wait until
dismissal to get your student.

DISCIPLINE
Rationale: Montessori students and teachers take responsibility for maintaining a community that fosters
personal growth.

At LMMS, staff members make every effort to remind and encourage students to follow their Montessori
pillars and the Durham Public School’s Code of Conduct by using firm, friendly, proactive approaches. These
proactive approaches include, but are not limited to:

Request to change behavior

Private conversations

Parent Contact

Contract reminder

Short period of reflection

Occasionally, more assertive action may be necessary, especially in cases of chronic failure to follow the
pillars. These approaches include, but are not limited to, after school detention, conference with teacher(s)
and/or the administrative team, or suspension.

Grading System and Philosophy (From-District Handbook-Added 7/31/17)

The policy of the Board of Education is to strive for a consistent and just evaluation of each student in
the Durham Public Schools. To ensure the effectiveness of this policy, the Board of Education
endorses these beliefs and best practices.

● Students’ grades should reflect their academic achievement.

● While attendance and behavior may influence a student’s learning, they should be reported
separately, not included in the student’s grade.

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 ● Teachers should compare each student’s performance against pre-set standards, not against
the performance of other students.
● For missing work, teachers should provide specific make-up assignment(s) for demonstrating
the targeted learning.
● Teachers should provide students and their parents with a clear explanation of their grading
practices including the weighting of formative and summative assessments and rubrics as
appropriate.

All assessments and assignments, including teacher-made tests should be aligned with the North
Carolina Standard Course of Study and be designed to assess student achievement accurately.
Policy 3200

Minimum Grade Threshold (Middle and High School)

In yearlong courses, for first, second, and third-quarter grades, no student will receive lower than a
50. There is no set minimum for fourth-quarter or final grades. For semester courses, the first-quarter
grade will be no lower than a 50; there is no set minimum for second quarter or final grade. Policy
3200.4