Tplc F2f Handbookpolicies 09-10

Policy Handbook: TPLC f2f Program Welcome to Turning Point Learning Center TPLC is an accredited public charter school in the state of Kansas. We are managed by Emporia School District, USD 253 and Educational Services Staff Development Association of Central Kansas (ESSDACK). Our face to face (f2f) school provides curriculum for fifth through eighth grade in a Project Based Learning environment, with the academic and social needs of the individual student as top priority. In this handbook you will find information intended to inform parents and students of policies and procedures for TPLC. It will also identify the responsibilities of families enrolled in our school. If you have any questions concerning the policies/ procedures or curriculum and technology, please contact Ginger Lewman, f2f Program Director at 620-794-1436, or [email protected] Ginger's office hours are M-F, 7:30am to 8:30am and 4:15pm to 5:45pm. Meetings outside of those hours will be made on special arrangement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Notice of Nondiscrimination Discrimination against any student on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion in the admission or access to, or treatment in the districtʼs programs and activities is prohibited. Theresa Davidson, Associate Superintendent of Personnel, 341-2222, has been designated to coordinate compliance with nondiscrimination requirements contained in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Any individual who believes he or she has been discriminated against may file a complaint with the building principal or the compliance coordinator. Any student complaint of discrimination shall be resolved under the districtʼs discrimination complaint procedure. Staff Contact Information Principal

Terry Fehrenbach

620-921-5569

[email protected]

Admin Assʼt

Rebecca Tafoya

620-341-2455

[email protected]

f2f Prog Director

Ginger Lewman

620-794-1436

[email protected]

Teachers

Charlie Mahoney

316-734-9984

[email protected]

Jennifer Miller

620-899-0714

[email protected]

Fine Arts Teacher

TPLC Policy Handbook, f2f Program

rev. 07/09

Student Services Enrollment Qualifications/Fees Only students who reside in Kansas are eligible to attend TPLC tuition-free. Families are responsible for the annual $95 enrollment fee. Families who believe they may qualify for reduced fees may complete the paperwork for that assistance. Applications for reduced fees will be approved by USD253 Central Office staff and notification will be provided to the families and school. Applications New students will submit a completed application and also provide the following information:

Immunizations All students must have a copy of their updated immunizations records on file with TPLC, or an exemption signed by the parent.

Proof of Age Each student needs to provide proof of age. A state issued birth certificate, hospital birth certificate, or signed statement by the parent affirming the date of birth. Family Orientation An orientation session will be provided before the start of the school year and families are highly encouraged to attend. Please see the calendar for the date and time. For those unable to attend the orientation please contact the f2f Program Director to arrange for an individual orientation. Families are an integral part of the success of not only their child, but also to TPLC as a whole. Parents are asked to volunteer at least 5 hours per semester in one capacity or another to the benefit of the Program. Participation in the TPLC f2f Parent Group is also encouraged. Tardies/Absences Tardies and absences are discouraged at TPLC, as the Project Based Learning experience is difficult to replicate in "make-up" work. That being said, tardies and absences are part of everyday life. Parents need to notify the teacher/staff as soon as possible, when an absence or tardy is inevitable. Email, phone calls, or voice mail are acceptable. A student MAY NOT notify the staff on his/her own behalf, or the tardy/absence will be considered unexcused. Special Education Special Education services are not provided on-site at TPLC. If a student has an IEP, a meeting will be held with TPLC staff to see if we are able to accommodate the stated services. If not, the student will then be given the option to attend their neighborhood school to receive those services, with all transportation being arranged by the family. Families of children with Gifted needs can also choose to be served on a consultation basis. For more information, please contact the f2f Program Director. Counseling Programs Counselors are available through USD 253 to provide a variety of services to students and parents. Counselors from each district K-8 building will provide counseling to students at the grade level they normally serve. If you or your child need these services please let us know and we will make arrangements with USD 253 for you. Withdrawals The parents of our enrolled students wanting to withdraw from TPLC must contact the f2f Program Director to discuss their intent to do so. Arrangements will be made at that time to recover materials and equipment that are on loan from the school. Students Moving out of State Students moving out of the state of Kansas will need to contact the f2f Program Director to withdraw from the program. If the student is moving from the Emporia area, but is staying inside Kansas, s/he may transfer to the Virtual Program to keep enrollment at TPLC. TPLC Policy Handbook, f2f Program

rev. 07/09

Technology and Supplies Materials for Student Use TPLC has MacBook computers available for checkout. One computer, one charger, and one protective bag will be loaned per student enrolled. The computer needs to be kept inside the protective bag when not in use. This equipment is property of TPLC/ESSDACK and must be kept in good condition. Parents are responsible for payment for lost, stolen, or damaged materials. Parents and students must sign an Internet Acceptable Use Agreement and will be given additional information about said usage. Materials Not Returned to TPLC/Unpaid fees Families who do not return (or replace damaged) items, such as books, computers, chargers, and other materials loaned from TPLC, will be charged for those items. If families do not pay for those missing or damaged items, they may be denied enrollment the following year. Problems with Computers or Chargers Please contact the f2f Program Director to help resolve any problems that may arise with computers or chargers. He/she will coordinate the appropriate technical assistance. If immediate repairs cannot be made to students' computers, a temporary replacement computer will be made available until repairs can be completed. The computers are under a $100 insurance deductible. If the computer must be sent away from ESSDACK offices to be repaired, at $100 fee will be paid by the student's family. Chargers do not fall under the computer insurance, so an $80 fee will be assessed to the student's family for replacement cost of a charger that no longer works. Technology-Internet Service Internet access is important for student success at TPLC. Students/families enrolled in TPLC will be responsible for providing their own internet service or access to internet, such as the public library. If you have problems or questions with your internet connection you will have to contact your service provider to resolve those issues. Online safety Because TPLC takes online safety very seriously, students will use their browser's history as a log of where they've traveled on the internet. To prove they are innocent of any unsafe surfing, students will NEVER erase their browser's history; immediate disciplinary action will be taken if it is found that a student has erased his/her history. All students will immediately show all their browsers' histories and/or hand over their computer at any time for teacher and/or parent request. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action. If a student accidentally surfs onto an inappropriate site with sex or violence as a main theme, the student will immediately show their parent or a teacher the site, and will NOT erase the site's history. The parent will notify a TPLC teacher of the site and time of access, and the teacher will log the accidental access. If an inappropriate site is found during routine administrative checks of browser history and no log entry is recorded, then disciplinary action will be taken, which may range from a warning to removal of internet/computer privileges, depending on the severity of the offense, to be determined by the f2f Program Director.

TPLC Policy Handbook, f2f Program

rev. 07/09

District-Wide Safety, and Medical Information Emergency Drill State and Federal Law requires schools to conduct fire and severe weather drills periodically. During these drills, students will follow the instructions of the TPLC staff. Hearing and Vision Screenings Pursuant to Education Statute #72-5205 and #72-1205, vision tests will be provided once every two years and hearing tests will be provided once every three years. Dates of the testing will be posted on the school calendar. Immunizations All students enrolling in any Emporia Public School, including TPLC, shall provide the building principal with proof of immunizations of certain diseases or furnish documents to satisfy statutory requirements. Booster shots required by the Secretary of the State Department of Health and Environment are also required. All students residing in the district on May 15 will be required to submit proof of immunizations by the following November 1. Failure to submit proof of immunizations by November 1 will result in exclusion from school from that date until statutory and policy requirements are met. Exceptions to this requirement are proof that the student has received the most recent appropriate inoculations in a required series, an annual written statement from a physician declaring it unsafe for the student to receive the inoculations, or proof of a religious exemption. Students will not be excluded from school for noncompliance with the 10-year tetanus booster. All students entering the district as new residents will be given 60 days from the first day of school or from first date of attendance, whichever comes first, to comply with statutory and policy requirements. Physicals All students entering the Emporia Public School system for the first time should submit evidence of a physical examination by the first day of school. Students in grades 1-12 entering the school district for the first time should provide evidence of a physical examination that has been completed sometime during their school career. Students who have not completed a physical examination by the first day of school should provide evidence that an appointment has been made for the physical. A student who has not met the requirements for the completion of the physical may be excluded from field trips, and other physically strenuous activity, including exercise time. All physical forms may be obtained from local doctorsʼ offices, school nurses, any school office, or the local Health Department. Medication at School Kansas law prohibits school personnel from administering any medication to students without written instructions from a doctor and a signed consent form from the parent. Medication and inhalers must be in the original bottle from the pharmacy and properly labeled. Medication includes both prescription and over the counter medicine such as Tylenol or cough drops. Medication forms can be obtained from the schoolʼs director.

TPLC Policy Handbook, f2f Program

rev. 07/09

Drug Free Schools and Communities Act The unlawful possession, use, sale or distribution of illicit or simulated drugs and alcohol by students on school premises or as a part of any school activity is unacceptable. As a condition of continued enrollment in the district, students shall abide by the terms of this policy. Students shall not unlawfully manufacture, sell, distribute, dispense, possess or use illicit drugs, simulated drugs, controlled substances or alcoholic beverages on school district property, or at any school activity. Any student violating the terms of this policy will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement officials, and will be subject to dismissal from Turning Point Learning Center. Tobacco Possession and/or use of any tobacco product by students, staff or visitors is prohibited in any school, in any school-owned vehicle, at school-sponsored events or on the school grounds.

Student Behavior Expectations Teaching and learning of the curriculum for all students is the highest priority. Therefore, the misbehavior of one student * will not be allowed to interfere with the learning of other students, * will not be allowed to interfere with the teacherʼs responsibility to teach,

* will not excuse the misbehaving student from successfully completing learning goals. School Rules TPLC students are expected to make smart choices and:

* be Safe

* be Respectful

* be Responsible

* be Ready Student Conduct and Discipline The ultimate goal of any discipline plan is to teach self-discipline and responsible behavior. In the f2f Program, we believe students have individual needs. We believe in the flexibility of fitting the consequences to the offending action. Some students may have different needs than others, and therefore different expectations of acceptable behavior. Bullying or Physical Violence Bullying will not be tolerated in any form including on school property, in a school vehicle, or at a school-sponsored activity or event. Additionally, online bullying will not be tolerated, whether it be in a school-related forum or with school equipment. Due to the often hidden nature of bullying, families, students, and staff will be trained on the importance of digital citizenship, family communication, and what to do if someone is being bullied, or suspects that bullying is occurring. Students who have bullied others in violation of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension and expulsion. If appropriate, students who violate the bullying prohibition shall be reported to local law enforcement. Physical violence is never tolerated and will be addressed with consequences ranging from a warning to an invitation to leave TPLC. We understand that attending this school is not the only schooling option available to parents in Emporia. TPLC staff will bear the responsibility for determining the consequences for each incident on a case-by-case basis. TPLC Policy Handbook, f2f Program

rev. 07/09

Discipline and field trips TPLC staff reserves the right to keep students from participating in field trips or other school events if the need arises from inappropriate behavior. Plagiarism, Cheating, Dishonesty To plagiarize is to use the ideas or words of another without crediting the source. It is the schoolʼs obligation to make students aware that using inappropriate means of completing an assignment is wrong. Students have the obligation to complete their own daily assignments and tests by doing their own work to the best of their ability. All parties involved in using inappropriate means to complete assignments will receive no credit for the assignment and can be referred to an administrator for appropriate consequences. Harassment Policy Physical, verbal, sexual, or visual harassment or intimidation towards any member of the TPLC school community will not be tolerated. Anyone that believe he or she has been harassed because of his or her status, should report the situation to TPLC Staff.

Daily Operations Student Possessions Neither Turning Point nor ESSDACK are responsible for students' personal property and do not provide insurance on students' personal property.  If a student's personal property is broken, damaged, or stolen, repair or replacement is the student's responsibility.   Students are not encouraged to bring MP3 players, iPod Touches, video games, or other forms of electronic entertainment equipment to school unless for a specific school-related purpose and the parent feels the child can be held personally responsible for the safety of the equipment.  Teachers may give students individual permission for such items.   Cell phones should be kept in a safe location at school and for etiquette reasons, set on "vibrate mode" during the school day.  Students may check their messages before school, during lunch or other breaks, and after school.  Parents are encouraged to use these times to contact their children.  Parents are also encouraged to sign up for the schools Instant Messaging program (iChat/AIM, or Skype) to stay in contact with their children via computer.   School Lunch Because we do not provide school lunches, TPLC students and staff must provide their own lunches at school. Families who qualify for free or reduced lunches may have special arrangements made, so as to allow for some school support. These arrangements will be made on an individual basis. If a student forgets his/her lunch, TPLC will provide an alternate lunch. If the same student forgets their lunch 3 times in a quarter, the parents will be notified and corrective arrangements will be made. Transportation TPLC does not provide student transportation to/from home or to/from other schools. Parents will arrange transportation/carpooling amongst themselves if they wish and will assume all liabilities for doing so. Student email accounts All students at TPLC f2f program will be expected to have access to an email account. This may be a student's personal account, with all accompanying passwords provided to the parents. This may also be a shared family/student account, in the case of children younger than age 13. Google Applications TPLC Policy Handbook, f2f Program

rev. 07/09

are frequently used at TPLC and a student may be required to hold a Google account, but not necessarily Gmail account. If a parent has concerns over this issue, they may contact the f2f Program Director to make alternative arrangements. Emporia Public Library Cards Students at TPLC will be asked to check out books from the Emporia Public Library (EPL) on a regular basis. Students are highly encouraged to have an EPL library account, and should always have access to their library card. If there are any concerns about this arrangement, parents may contact the f2f Program Director to make alternative arrangements. Students are HIGHLY DISCOURAGED from checking out materials for anyone else, for any reason. School Calendar Our school year will begin on August 13, 2009. A calendar will be provided to you with important events through the district calendar. Additionally, families will have access to more timely information through the shared Google calendar. Parents are encouraged to check this calendar regularly. Alerts for particular events can also be sent to personal cell phones and email addresses. For access to the online version of the calendar (updated regularly) and or questions about the calendar or its events, please contact the f2f Program Director. Report Cards Quarterly report cards will be sent to families based on the material the student has covered in that nine weeks. Upon request, families are also able to schedule personal updates for grades or behavior on a more regular basis. State Standards At any time, families are able to access the state standards by content and grade level, by visiting: http://www.kerc-ks.org Special Language Courses Offered Rosetta Stone- provides an online foreign language curriculum in 11 different languages. For a demonstration go to: http://www.rosettastone.com/personal/demo Languages offered:

Arabic

French



Hebrew

Italian



Portuguese (Brazil)

Spanish (Latin America)

Chinese (Mandarin) German Irish Japanese Russian Spanish (Spain)

Spanish and French- OdysseyWare users will be able to enroll through that curriculum.

TPLC Policy Handbook, f2f Program

rev. 07/09

Fine Arts Program Additional fees may apply for the Fine Arts Program.

Art The art curriculum at TPLC is a complete program, based on the full spectrum of art standards. Students will be expected to complete projects/activities that reflect the range of this spectrum. 1. If you are absent for an art session, make up work will need to be arranged with the teacher. 2. Students need to bring all necessary & required material to every lesson. For example: Art Snack Pack, computer, etc. 3. If the teacher must cancel an entire session, the teacher will reschedule the session missed. In most cases a substitute teacher will be provided when available. 4. Every student will be required to do various INTERRELATED CURRICULAR projects & activities throughout the school year to enhance their art education. Deadlines will be individualized for student ability and need, but if a student misses more than 2 deadlines in a semester/ quarter, a conference with parents will be called to reach a positive solution in the child's best interest. Music The music curriculum at TPLC is a complete program, based on the nine music standards, which include: singing, playing, composing, improvising, rhythm, listening, analyzing, describing, and cultural and historical perspective. Practice Logs Students participating in the TPLC vocal or instrumental music programs are required to practice a minimum of three 30-minutes sessions weekly. Students will be required to fill out practice logs and turn them into the instructor weekly. It will be part of their participation grade in their music classes. These logs are to help the students grow musically. It is to their benefit to practice every week. Students will be expected to complete projects/activities that reflect the full range of these standards. 1. If you are absent for a music session, make up work will need to be arranged with the teacher. 2. Students need to bring all necessary & required material to every lessons. For example: Lesson books, pencil, homework, computer, etc. 3. If the teacher must cancel an entire session, the teacher will reschedule the session missed. In most cases a substitute teacher will be provided when available. 4. Every student will be required to do various INTERRELATED CURRICULAR projects & activities throughout the school year to enhance their music education. Deadlines will be individualized for student ability and need, but if a student misses more than 2 deadlines in a semester/quarter, a conference with parents will be called to reach a positive solution in the child's best interest.

Fine Arts Night TPLC Policy Handbook, f2f Program

rev. 07/09

Every student at TPLC taking an art class will participate in the Fine Arts Night by submitting artworks to be displayed. Every student taking a music class will participate in at least one of the Fine Arts Nights. There may be additional concert dates added to the calendar as the opportunities arise. Fine Arts Materials and Costs With the exception of piano lessons, parents will need to provide an instrument for their children. Piano students will need to find a way to practice away from TPLC by either having a keyboard at home or practicing where there is a piano available. Practice times before/after school will be made on an individual basis. Families will also be responsible to provide the lesson book for your child. Many materials for general music and art classes will be provided by TPLC. However, students are encouraged to bring their own pencil, eraser, crayons, colored pencils, markers, watercolors. As part of the art curriculum here at TPLC we use the Art Snacks site. It is a wonderful resource for our students to showcase their artwork as well as learning from the online art videos. At this time there is no fee for the usage of this site.

Grievance Procedure In an effort to provide high-quality, on-going customer service, we want to take care of any grievances you may have in a timely manner. Therefore, please use the following procedure to address all issues that are serious in nature. 1. In writing please contact the f2f Program Director to address the concerns that you have. You will receive a response within 10 days. 2. If the issue is not resolved with the f2f Program Director parents can, in writing, request a meeting with the Director and the TPLC Administrator. He/she will investigate the matter and respond within 10 days. Written grievances can be submitted by email ([email protected]), in person (315 S. Market St., Emporia, KS), by US mail (TPLC, 315 S. Market St, Emporia, KS 66801), or by fax (620-341-2456).

TPLC Policy Handbook, f2f Program

rev. 07/09