Community Handbook
Please discuss the Community Handbook with your student. Hard copies are available upon request.
Met
One Student At A Time
2010-2011
Community Handbook
Phone: 916.264-4700 Fax: 916.264-4701
Allen Young Principal
________________________________________________________________
Big Picture Learning
Vision
Our vision is to provide an innovative, academically rigorous, project-based education that connects
students to community-based internships while being part of a safe and inclusive educational setting.
Our mission is to educate each student, including those who may not have succeeded in
more traditional educational settings. We graduate students who are self-directed, independent
learners who have the critical thinking skills and core knowledge that will allow them to be successful
in college as well as in life. Our graduates are unique and creative individuals who will rise
above adversity in the adult world.
A. Educational Philosophy
The Met Sacramento’s mission is to educate all students, including those who may have not succeeded in more traditional educational settings. We graduate students who are self-directed, independent learners who have the critical thinking skills and core knowledge that will allow them to be successful in college as well as in life. Our graduates are unique and creative individuals who will be able to rise above adversity in the adult world. One student at a time, The Met provides a personalized learning environment that allows students to take control of their learning and gain the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve success beyond high school. The Met relies on strong relationships with family, community, businesses, government and all other educational institutions to expand the role of the school in the community and the community in the school.
The Met is a small school that strives to be a place where students are known well, understood, respected and able to have genuine relationships with adults. Each student's educational program involves authentic experiences with real world standards and consequences, and is designed by the people who know the student best: parents, teachers, mentors, and him or herself. Students’ learning plans grow out of their individual needs, interests, and passions. The overall school program is flexible enough to accommodate change and a broad range of learners. The Met is committed to serving a diverse group of students and creating learning communities that honor and respect diversity.
B. Evaluation of Instructional Programs
The Met holds very high standards for its students. The school’s system of assessment is based around five school-wide Learning Goals. Woven throughout the assessment process is The Met’s commitment that learning be meaningful and that each student become a life-long learner.
The Met believes that assessing a student in an authentic learning situation must serve a greater purpose than just to evaluate the student’s final product. Because Met student work has real consequences, the process of the work must be assessed and improved continually. To wait until the work is done is to risk a poor product. In any learning situation, assessment should help the student achieve increasingly high standards, and it should inform teachers, parents and mentors on how to reshape and improve the student's learning experience.
Met advisors look at the big picture of each student’s learning and challenge the student to do academically rigorous project work that addresses the five school-wide Learning Goals and is focused around his or her personal interests and passions. Older students assist younger students in understanding and addressing the Learning Goals and are valued as role models of self-directed learning and goal achievement. Most importantly, Learning Through Internship (LTI) projects provide students with the opportunity to address the Learning Goals in the real world.
Experiential and real-world learning calls for experiential and authentic performance measures that arise from real questions, problems and tasks, and that demonstrate what students actually know and demonstrate. The Met’s assessment system includes the review of hard evidence of student progress and performance levels linked to internship tasks, research, projects, and other community and school-based learning. This evidence is presented both in portfolio form and at regularly scheduled exhibitions. A student’s portfolio will include drafts and final products of, for example: research papers; creative writing; original art; recorded music; designs and models; computer software applications; graphs and charts; videotaped interviews and performances; work products from the internship site; journal writings; and, project proposals. Portfolios also include regularly timed advisor narratives twice a year on student progress, exhibition panel feedback, and self-reflective student narratives.
The assessment process begins when each student is first enrolled with a diagnosis of the student’s disciplinary, intellectual, personal and interpersonal skills, needs and learning styles. Ongoing assessment, conferencing and narrative/letter grade reports provide in-depth feedback to guide students and their personal support team in strengthening the quality of work and the students understanding of themselves as learners. Parents and guardians are involved in regular learning plan team meetings with their child’s teacher and internship mentor to examine the work, review progress towards the Learning Goals, and update and improve the student’s individualized learning plan.
The Met Sacramento’s Learning Goals are tools for problem solving. They are a framework for looking at the real-world knowledge and abilities necessary to being a successful, well-rounded person. They are not content-oriented curricula, nor are they completely distinct categories. Each goal focuses on an aspect of reasoning or community behavior. Students’ project work will often incorporate many overlapping elements of the Learning Goals. Students graduate when they demonstrate proficiency in The Met’s five Learning Goals.
The Five Learning Goals
Empirical Reasoning The goal of empirical reasoning requires that a student learn to think like a scientist: to use empirical evidence and a logical process to make decisions and to evaluate hypotheses. It does not reflect specific science content material, but instead can incorporate ideas from physics to sociology to art theory.
Quantitative Reasoning The goal of quantitative reasoning requires that a student learn to think like a mathematician: to understand numbers, to analyze uncertainty, to comprehend the properties of shapes, and to study how things change over time.
Communication The goal of communication requires that a student learn to be a great communicator: to understand your audience, to write, to read, to speak and listen well, to use technology and artistic expression to communicate, and to be exposed to another language.
Social Reasoning The goal of social reasoning is to learn to think like an historian or anthropologist: to see diverse perspectives, to understand social issues, to explore ethics, and to look at issues historically.
Personal Qualities The goal of personal qualities is to learn to be the best you can be: to demonstrate respect, responsibility, organization, leadership, and to reflect on your abilities and strive for improvement.
A clear vision of what its graduates should look like drives The Met’s design and actions. The plan is as follows: Met graduates think logically and creatively, make informed decisions, solve problems, visualize, make reasonable predictions, reflect, and know how to learn. Met graduates read, write, perform and apply mathematical operations, listen, and speak with competence. Met graduates are responsible, sociable, self-disciplined, and honest. They display self-confidence and integrity. Met graduates identify, plan, and allocate resources. They work well with others. They acquire and use information. They understand complex interrelationships. And they work with a variety of technologies. Met graduates ask questions about their world; look for evidence and reason through issues and ideas before accepting them; use disciplinary thinking to understand, describe, and solve real problems; question others as well as themselves; distinguish fact from opinion; detect bias; and understand the limits of their own experience. Met graduates can "put themselves in another's shoes;" strive to understand and respect points of view other then their own; develop a sense of perspective on an issue; understand their own and other's cultures, styles, values, and biases; and value and welcome a diversity of opinions and ideas. Then they respond and act accordingly. Finally, Met graduates have a strong sense of themselves, a commitment to community service, and are responsible and active citizens.
C. Master Plan of the School
The Met is more than a cutting-edge school. It is the centerpiece of a national reform initiative whose mission is to catalyze the people and resources of this country in a systemic way to rethink and redesign secondary education.
The Met Sacramento’s design is based on these core principles:
· Small school size: The Met includes small personalized learning communities that serve students of all abilities and interests. Each advisory has a ratio of approximately 22:1.
· Advisory structure: A student's advisory and center of accountability. Advisories meet daily and serve as the core learning community for that group of students for four years. An advisor (teacher) facilitates the advisory for four years. He/she serves as a teaching catalylist, finding educational resources for the students, ensuring that the personalized learning plans target key academic learning goals, working with mentors to ensure the rigor of internships, and actively involving parents in their children’s education.
· Personalized education: Each student at The Met has a comprehensive, individualized learning plan that the student crafts with the guidance of the advisor, parent, and, where applicable, the internship mentor. The learning plan identifies the student’s particular academic and developmental needs, describes authentic project work to meet these goals, and outlines expected outcomes and timelines. It is revised as needed and updated at regular learning plan meetings. The framework for the plan is the five Learning Goals and school-wide grade-level expectations.
· Real world learning: The Met fosters learning through consequential work in the community. Internships provide the primary structure for engaging students in the real world. The school aims to have each student spending two days a week engaged in meaningful project work outside the school building. Advisors coordinate this work, ensuring that it is integrated with the student’s learning goals and school-based study. It is important to note that such real-world work is intended to foster broad learning applicable to all fields, to be developmental as opposed to vocational.
· Authentic assessment: Each student must create a portfolio of his/her work; present quarterly exhibitions; receive in-depth written narrative assessments twice a year from advisors; and pass a gateway exhibition at the end of the second year and graduation requirements at the culmination of the final year.
· Focus on community: The Met is a vibrant and inclusive learning community that values diversity and respect. Each week begins with a “Pick Me Up,” an all-school gathering at which students showcase their work and guests from the community give performances and presentations. Whole community events for staff, students, families, and mentors are scheduled throughout the year. Family engagement: The Met enrolls whole families and empowers parents to play an active role in their child’s education and in the school community. Parents/guardians at The Met must agree to take part in regular learning plan team meetings and are expected to attend a number of functions throughout the year. The Met holds an orientation for new families; organizes social, cultural, and educational activities for families; and supports parents/guardians in their role as educators.
· Eye on the big picture: Though The Met has a small student population; the vision extends far beyond the building. The Met is literally and figuratively networked to other schools developed through its founder, The Big Picture Company, to promote the philosophy of “one student at a time” and share best practices
D. Code of Basic Management Principles and
The Met’s curriculum promotes academic, physical, social, emotional, and ethical growth. The academic and social curriculums are integrated, sequential, and age-appropriate in the skills, knowledge, and values they foster, as between students, between students and staff, and between the school community and the community at large. The Met’s staff strives to nurture the building of self-respect at every opportunity—inside or outside the classroom—and encourages a positive, caring attitude toward others by nurturing the values of cooperation, diversity, and ethical behavior both inside and outside of the classrooms.
Culture of Trust and Responsibility
Much of this handbook concerns policies and rules. At all times an attempt is made to find a balance between the culture of trust and responsibility the school wishes to instill and the need to be very clear in expected behaviors and outcomes. Students will be empowered to take their education into their own hands more than at other schools and they will also be given a greater degree of involvement in school governance. With these privileges come greater responsibilities.
As educators, the staff at the Met is ultimately responsible for maintaining a positive and safe learning environment. Student actions will determine the level of trust the staff can have in students and the level of responsibility that is expected.
The Met Pledge
All Met students are expected to be principle driven in their behavior and daily decision making processes. Each student, within their advisories and school wide, will participate in activities designed to build and maintain a culture of responsibility, respect, and trust.
Academic Expectations
All students are expected to perform to their capabilities. The Met is a place that values learning above all else and expects Met students to work to develop themselves.
Academic Probation
The Met strongly believes One Student at a Time. The Met staff will make every attempt to empower student learning however it ultimately the student’s responsibility to constantly and positively demonstrate their abilities. Students whose grade point average is 2.0 or below or who have one or more failing grades for more than one semester or who are credit deficient may be placed on Academic Probation. Students on Academic Probation will be monitored on a weekly Progress Report to be turned into their advisor/principal. Further individual interventions will be considered. Students will be released from Academic Probation with a Semester report card GPA of greater than 2.0 and no failing marks. Students failing to demonstrate academic progress risk the losing their spot at the Met.
Panther Pipeline
All Met students are encouraged to take part in
Panther Pipeline Requirements
To enroll students must have pre-approval from Arrickia our college counselor and your advisor as well as complete all of the following:
1. An online application
2. An Advanced Education Application form
3. Submission of all applications with all required signatures and documents
4. Testing at the
5. Enrollment in the specific class to be taken
Declining state resources have forced class and faculty reductions at some institutions during a time when students are coming to us in larger numbers than they ever have before. This reduced access has required the Los Rios Community College District and
We are continuing to work hard to ensure that we are able to meet the future needs of our communities. As alternative during these difficult economic times, we are encouraging students to take advantage of classes that will be offered during the summer of 2011. We will work closely with The Met Sacramento team to inform students of these opportunities in the upcoming spring of 2011. Both
Bus Transportation
There are no district school buses that serve SAS. RT buses will stop on either ends of the Met campus. For information about bus routes and fares, please call 321-BUSS. Students waiting at bus stops are to represent the Met in a respectful and responsible manner.
Cafeteria
The Met participates in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. It is very important for the funding of the school that all students eligible for free and reduced lunches fill out the appropriate paperwork. This paperwork will be sent home the first week of school.
Vending Machine
Currently we have a healthier choices vending machine. While we contract and benefit from this machine (the Met receives and portion of funds received plus they donate lots of product during our events) the Met is not responsible for monies lost in this machine. Do not ask the front office for change-they don’t have it. Any misuse of the machine and/or tampering may result in it being removed.
Clubs
Clubs on campus are voluntary and will meet at lunch, after school and/or other approved designated times. Students wishing to start a club should find a staff mentor to initiate the club. All activities and funds must be vetted through Student Leadership, Maryanne Bodolay and admin staff.
Fundraising
1. Discus and choose three dates that you would like to have your fundraiser. (Your target date and two alternate dates in case your first choice is not available).
2. Complete an Event and Fundraising Request Form, available in the front office.
3. Have your advisor sign the completed form.
4. Turn it into the office and ask Maryanne to schedule the event.
5. Email Rocky (our custodian) the several days before your scheduled event to set up any furniture or equipment you may need for your event. He will also help prepare the room(s) needed.
6. Speak to the office about establishing an account for your cause with our Met SAB.
7. Turn in all funds raised to the office so it may be deposited. Students are not to carry money.
Emergency Information Cards
State laws require that an emergency card be kept on campus at all times. In case of emergencies, it is important that BOTH sides of the emergency card are filled out. Emergency cards will be handed out the first week of school and may also be obtained in the school office. When/if any information changes please contact us immediately.
Care of Books, Supplies, and Equipment
The Met prides itself on its culture of Trust and Responsibility. Part of this responsibility is accountability for actions. The following policies reflect accountability for student actions:
Books: the Met is not a text based school however they are available text books provided without cost or fee. Charges are made, however, for damages resulting from abuse or loss of texts. If the book is no longer useable or lost, a charge equal to the amount of the book, tax and shipping will be determined. Book prices range from $60.00 to $100.00. Students must check out books via their advisor.
College Texts and materials: Books and materials purchased through the Panther Pipeline are the property of the
Supplies: Students are expected to supply traditional supplies such as paper, pens, pencils and their own personal binder. Students may find it convenient to purchase some supplies such as a re-writable CD and/or a flash drive to back up their work on. From time to time a teacher may ask for a small, voluntary donation to offset the cost of special materials. State law prohibits actual fees or charges for materials. No student will miss an educational opportunity at the Met due to lack of funds. Need help? See your advisor and/or principal privately.
Acceptable Use Policy
In addition to the SCUSD Acceptable Use Policy sent home and signed at the beginning of the year, Arts and Science has its own policies regarding the following prohibited actions on classroom and all computers:
- Personal email: email coming from or going to an address outside of school is prohibited without staff approval. The content of all email is subject to monitoring and is not to be considered private. Email containing obscenities, personal attacks, gang references, drug references, and any other content deemed unacceptable is strictly prohibited and will result minimally in the loss of email.
- All-student email: an e-mail which goes to every student. (It slows down the system)
- Visiting Proxy sites is PROHIBITED!! SCUSD and the Met maintains an internet filtering service intended to protect students from accessing inappropriate and unsafe Websites. Any Website or method of circumventing this safeguard may result in a loss of internet privileges.
- Possession, use, and downloading of Executables: any process (i.e. program executable, script, batch file, etc.) that is not pre-loaded on a Met computer or approved by staff is STRICTLY PROHIBITED!
- Downloading or
- Viewing Websites of questionable value or websites unrelated to school work may result in severe disciplinary action: Again-when in doubt…ask.
- Using someone else's e-mail account will result in loss of privileges.
- Visiting chat rooms, using Instant Messaging clients or sites is prohibited.
- Installing software not approved by School Administration is a suspendable offense.
- Loading games and/or copying software.
- Do not plagiarize because it’s wrong plus it may have negative repercussions on your grades and discipline.
- Logging on an account not your own is prohibited.
- Moving software from a local machine to a server: copying program files to the server to be used on another machine is never allowed.
- Inappropriate computer-to-computer communication (“hacking”): any attempt by a student to control another computer, delete/change files, send network-level messages, sniff IP packets, or any malicious or non-school related computer-to-computer communication may result in loss of privileges.
- Using racist/sexist/threatening comments in the database or email and will result in severe disciplinary action.
- Printing personal documents: any printing done that is not associated with the classroom is not allowed. You may be asked to reimburse the school.
- Using school e-mail or the school’s network for personal gain: using your email or network to make money is a suspendable offense.
- Possession or use of destructive programs: Having any program that can cause any sort of damage to the computers will result in suspension.
- Going around log-on procedures: using a computer without logging on the computer (i.e., without supplying your username and password), booting off floppies: using a disk to start a computer with a different operating system such as DOS (whatever that is) is also prohibited.
- Re-installing or re-activating a program that has been removed from the system: putting a program back onto a computer that was removed from that computer.
- Purchases over the Internet: many things may be bought over the Internet with a credit card. The school cannot be responsible for the liability of these transactions.
- Sharing personal information with strangers over the Internet: giving someone information which can be used to find the person
- Sending school wide and/or group emails without advisor approval.
- Meeting someone you have met over the Internet
- Using more than your 250 MB limit on the server: having files on your space in the server which uses more than 250 MB of storage space.
- Individual Computer configurations (CPU and Monitor) are to be left as set.
- Abuse or destruction of technology may result in being dismissed from the Met.
- Subject matter generated on the Met campus on SCUSD/Met technology must be of acceptable and positive content
The staff reserves the right to at any time, given the rapidity of change in technology, to add, delete, or modify the above policies and restrictions. We reserve the right to examine and confiscate any storage device used on campus.
Lost and Found
The lost and found is located in the front office. The Met is not responsible for these items.
Athletic Eligibility
Met students are eligible to try out and participate on their home school athletic teams. Metsters may also try out/play for all West Campus team sports. A contract must be signed and delivered to the home school principal/Athletic Director. Students must satisfy the academic and behavior standards of both schools to be eligible. Students need to remember this is a privilege and they are ambassadors of the Met. Additionally, either principal or the coaches may unilaterally remove a student from participation.
Grades
Grades are issued four times each school year. Credits are stated at the end of each semester. Quarter grades are “progress” grades that are not permanently recorded. Semester grades are permanent grades that are recorded. The semester grade is the total of the grade of the two quarters. Students are expected to pass all classes. Students who fail any portion of a class will be required to make up their deficiency in summer school or night school. The Met also provides a student narrative twice a year as well.
Notice of Impending Failure
If a student is in danger of failing at any grading period, the teacher will issue A NOTICE OF IMPENDING FAILURE/Progress Report no later than fifteen instructional days before the end of that grading period. A failure to issue the notice means that the student will receive full credit for the course, except under the conditions established in an incomplete contract which could have failing as the predetermined grade in case the conditions of the contract are not met by the student.
Attendance Policy
Consistent attendance is imperative for success at the Met. This includes attendance on the Met campus, at internships and/or SCC classes. If the student expects to graduate/advance to the next grade level their attendance may not fall below 90% cumulatively. Our school wide attendance should be 98-100% at all times. Excessive/habitual tardies or absences will result in a family meeting. Students who are tardy throughout the week will be held after school on Fridays and/or as needed. In some cases
Attendance is mandatory during exhibition weeks. Every student is expected to be panelist and audience member at exhibitions. For that reason, no student is allowed early dismissal on exhibition days without making prior arrangements with the guardian contacting the advisor a minimum 48 hours ahead of time. Again, it must be stressed that the student’s participation on the panel is part of their English and Personal Qualities grade. There’s ample time during the quarter/semester for all students to prepare their binder and presentation. If the student has been working diligently prior to exhibition week, there is no excuse for them to work on their binder during that week other than a few minor improvements.
It is the responsibility of all students to clear absences with your advisor, mentor and the front office. It is extremely important to attend all Panther Pipeline Classes. Any student who leaves campus without a valid off-campus pass or an early dismissal will be marked truant and be subject to other consequences.
Early Dismissals
In the event that a student must leave school during the school day for doctor or dental appointments or any personal business, he or she should bring a note, or parent/guardian should call the office. The student will need to obtain an early dismissal slip from the office to leave campus. Parents should be certain that their student obtains an early dismissal before they pick the student up. When a student has knowledge of an early dismissal, he/she must come to the Attendance Office to pick up the early dismissal slip. If a student becomes ill during the school day, he/she should go to the Office in order to get an early dismissal. Ill or injured students may not go home on their own volition; to do so would result in the student being marked truant (automatically) and may be subject to other disciplinary action. This is a protection for the student in case the problem is more severe than the student surmises. Students are the responsibility of the school until such time as the parent/guardian gives permission for dismissal.
Late Work Policy
The Met has a strict no late work policy in regards to workshop work, and advisory work; this also applies to exhibitions. Please see exhibition expectations. The exceptions to this policy are the following:
a. Excused absence: The student has as many days as they were absent to make up the work. Example: if they were absent two days, they will have two in school days to submit the late work.
b. Any student may meet with their advisor prior to the due date to discuss special circumstances.
c. Under no circumstances will late work be accepted after assessment (test, exhibition etc.)
d. LTI projects and independent projects sometimes include circumstances outside the control of the student. If these occur the student must inform their advisor as soon as possible or their work will be considered late.
Off Campus Lunch
Students who have passed Gateway, have an internship and are in positive academic standing have off campus privileges. Students will receive an off campus “pass” that is their advisor's business card or a note with their name and the advisor’s signature.
Tardy Policy
A student is considered tardy if the student is not in class with the proper materials (such as books, paper, and pencils) and ready to work at the first prompting of the teachers. A student who is late 3 times or more per quarter (all classes inclusive) will be subject to disciplinary action which may include but is not limited to Parent contact, conference, and/or detention. Any work due during the time period in which the student was not present in class may not be accepted (teacher discretion). Chronic tardiness will also activate the SART/ SARB process.
Campus Rules and Policies
The Met is committed to reinventing the high school experience for students and families. In this spirit, our rules are stated as a series of positive expectations rather than a list of “don’t do’s”. The exception to this is policies regarding suspension and expulsion, and the use of technology which is required by law to communicate in writing.
School Wide Expectations and Norms
Behavior Agreement Expectations
1. Resolve conflict through mediation. Use advisors and/or Allen. Support staff may be helpful as well.
2. Your advisor must know where you are at all times-make sure you are where you say you are!
3. Hands to yourselves. Respect yourself and others at all times.
4. Listening to music, using a cell phone and/or any electronic device is a Gateway privilege only. The Met is not responsible for your electronic devices. We suggest you leave them at home. Have a question? Ask your advisor.
5. Clean up after yourself in your advisory room, the library, art rooms, and bathrooms and during lunch in the cafeteria and/or the quad.
6. Dress appropriately for school. Clothing should not degrade others, embrace drugs, alcohol and/or gang culture. Dress accordingly for your LTI as well.
7. We are a CLOSED CAMPUS for non Gateway Graduates. Off campus lunch privileges are for Senior Institute students who have an LTI.
8. Be on time! These means you are seated, you have all the proper materials and are ready for action. The Met is a pass free school-we would like to keep it that way. The passes won’t be used when, as a school, we have earned it.
9. Make sure all school materials, books, folders, media equipment, etc are treated with care.
10. Computers are for school projects only. Do not attempt to go on Facebook, MySpace, etc. You may not download to the hard drives. Also, your Met email is your WORK email. Treat it as such. Check your Met email daily.
11. In the event of an emergency it is imperative that you listen to school personal until the event is resolved. Please observe during emergency drills as well.
12. We are, as well as all SCUSD school campuses, a non smoking campus. This includes
13. In general the Met is a drama free, bully free campus. Do NOT cause/provoke unnecessary issues. This includes during non school hours and via web networks. If you want drama-audition for a play!
14. All school time is sacred-this is especially true during exhibition/student presentations. It is important that everyone on the Met campus be respectful of these important presentations. Students who have to leave early during exhibitions must clear it with the school/advisor in advance (not the day of).
15. During the year there will be on going construction. Any in appropriate behavior that may disrupt and/or prolong construction will result in suspension. In short-stay away!
Suspension and/or expulsion may be the result of either one or many infractions of the above listed rules or any actions connected to the five
Possible Disciplinary Actions
At the Met students and staff elect to work through situations in ways that teach. When the occasion arises and student behavior does not conform to teacher expectations of the school rules the following adult responses are likely:
Advisor/teacher conference
Logical consequences- including financial restitution for damages/s/ theft
Loss of privileges
Teacher/ Advisor/ Parent/ Student conference
Referral to community counselor
Referral to principal
Independent study
Shortened day
Suspension
Expulsion
Grounds for Suspension and/ or Expulsion
The
Grounds for Immediate Recommendation for Expulsion
The infractions listed below will result in a five-day administrative suspension, loss of all extra-curricular activity privileges, and an immediate recommendation of expulsion.
1. Possession or use of weapons or other dangerous objects. This includes, but is not limited to, firearms, knives and/or explosives.
2. Abuse of personnel. This is classified as willful assault or battery or threat of great bodily harm against school personnel coupled with the ability to commit such harm.
3. Possessed, sold, or furnished a controlled substance, as defined in Section 11007 of the Health and Safety Code, alcoholic beverage, or intoxicant of any kind.
4. Committing or attempting to commit sexual assault or battery.
Suspension
Suspension shall be imposed only when other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct. However, a pupil may be suspended for any of the reasons enumerated in California Education Code Section 48900 upon a first offense, if the principal or superintendent of schools determines that the pupil violated subdivision A-O and 2, 3, 4, and 7 of Section 48900 or that that pupil’s presence causes a danger to persons or property at the school in which the pupil is enrolled
a1) Caused, attempted to cause, or threatened to cause physical injury to another person.
a2) Willful force or violence used upon the person of another, except in self-defense.
b) Possessed, sold, or otherwise furnished any firearm, knife, explosive, or other dangerous object unless, in the case of possession of any object of this type, the pupil had obtained written permission to possess the item from a certificated school employee, which is concurred in by the principal or the designee of the principal.
c) Unlawfully possessed, used, sold, or otherwise furnished, or been under the influence of, any controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code, an alcoholic beverage, or an intoxicant of any kind.
d) Unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell any controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code, an alcoholic beverage or an intoxicant of any kind, and then either sold, delivered, or otherwise furnished to
e) Any person selling another liquid, substance, or material and representing the liquid, substance, or material as a controlled substance, alcoholic beverage, or intoxicant.
f) Committed or attempted to commit robbery or extortion.
g) Caused or attempted to cause damage to school property or private property.
h) Stolen or attempted to steal school property or private property.
i) Possessed or used tobacco, or any products containing tobacco or nicotine products, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, miniature cigars, clove cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chew packets, and betel. However, this section does not prohibit use or possession by a pupil of his or her own prescription products. However, the principal shall be notified of any prescription medicine which must be brought top school or taken at school.
j) Committed an obscene act or engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity.
k) Had unlawful possession of, or unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell any drug paraphernalia, as defined in Section 11014.5 of the Health and Safety Code.
l) Disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties.
m) Knowingly received stolen property or private property.
n) Possession of an Imitation Firearm. Replica so substantially similar in physical properties to an existing firearm as to lead a reasonable person to conclude that the replica is a firearm.
o) Committed or attempted to commit a sexual battery as defined in Section 261, 266c, 286, 288, 288a, or 289 pf the Penal Code or committed a sexual battery as defined in Section 243.4 of the Penal Code.
p) Harassed, threatened, or intimidated a pupil who is a complaining witness or witness in a school disciplinary proceeding for the purpose of either preventing that pupil from being a witness or retaliating against that pupil for being a witness, or both.
.2) Sexual Harassment: Conduct considered sufficiently severe or pervasive to have a negative impact upon an individual’s performance or created an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment (Grade 4-12)
.3) Hate Violence: Willfully interfering with or threatening another person’s personal property or orientation. (A verbal act (speech) is not sufficient unless the speech threatens violence against person or persons, and perpetrator has apparent ability to carry out the threat. Grade 4-12)
.4) Harassment, Threats, Intimidation: Intentional behavior severe enough to disrupt class work, create substantial disorder, and invading the rights of that pupil or group of pupils by creating an intimidating or hostile educational environment (Grades 4-12)
.7) Terrorist threats
Sexual Harassment: E.C. 48900
Sexual harassment is defined as: “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature made by someone from or in the work or educational setting.” Any student who commits sexual harassment will be subject to suspension and even expulsion. If a student feels he/she have been sexually harassed, he/she should see the Principal or counselor as soon as possible.
Prohibited Illegal and Dangerous Items
(P.C. 25608, 262.9, 626.10, E.C. 48903)
Students shall not carry with them to school any of the following: Firecrackers, explosive devices, any size knife, metal pins, stars, baseball bats, clubs, chains, pellet guns, nun chucks, mace, pepper spray, stun guns, or ANY item which could be used as a weapon. Possession and/or use of any dangerous weapon or object will result in an immediate suspension/expulsion and a citation/arrest by the Police or Sheriff’s Department.
Gambling
Wagering, gambling, or using gambling devices or money is prohibited. Gambling is not allowed at any time or any place on campus. In addition to legal penalties, students will be subject to school disciplinary procedures even if the principal receives a cut.
Electronic Devices
Students are reminded that the school may confiscate any and all electronic devices including cell phones iPods and MP3 players. The school will not be liable for an item confiscated and kept longer than thirty (30) calendar days. Any student who wishes to recover a confiscated item must bring a parent/guardian to the school to reclaim it. Items not recovered by the parent/guardian within that period of time, become the property of the school.
Since we cannot guarantee their security and because they are a distraction to the learning environment and/or potential sources of trouble, non-essential personal property such as MP3 PLAYERS, IPODS, RADIOS, CD PLAYERS, TELEVISION SETS, VIDEO CAMERAS,
Cell Phone Policy:
In the 1980s cell phones were banned from schools due to illegal drug activity in certain areas. The Met recognizes that many parents now want their students to carry cell phones for matters of convenience and safety. However, cell phones—like all electronic devices-- represent a serious potential for both disruption of the school environment and students exceeding the boundaries of the school and parents alike. The following policy has been developed in order to facilitate student possession of cell phones while at school:
Students may bring cell phones to school if they remain OFF during school hours. Cell phones are not to be out during class time. Students may place calls at lunch. Inappropriate use of cell phones will be handled in the following manner:
Cell phones will be confiscated and locked up for the remainder of the day and the parent will be called. It is the student’s responsibility to retrieve the cell phone at the end of the day. Students who have passed Gateway and are in good academic standing have phone privileges. Those who don’t –don’t.
Hate Crimes
Due to the potential seriousness of this offense and the requirements of California Education Code 48900.3, any violation of this rule will result in suspension and may also result in a recommendation for expulsion, restitution, and/or a police report.
Loss of Privileges
An administrator may determine that a student whose behavior is a liability to the school may lose the privilege of participation in extra-curricular events. These events may include, but are not limited to end of the year activities including graduation.
Law Enforcement Officials
Occasionally, law enforcement officers will come to the school to talk with a student concerning matters that may or may not have any connection with the school. If an officer removes a student from the school, the school will make reasonable effort to contact the legal parent or guardian. When a law enforcement officer interviews a student at school, a school representative will be present. The school administration will call upon law enforcement agencies when it is deemed necessary to maintain order and to protect the rights of all individuals. Drug dogs may also come on campus at anytime to insure the safety of our school community.
Shadow Day
The Met does not allow students to visit unless they are prospective a student and have done the following:
Parent/guardian has called to set up a Shadow Day appointment. These appointments are usually on Mondays and Wednesdays from
Parent/guardian and the student will then meet with a Met staff representative to discuss enrollment possibilities.
If interested the parent/guardian will fill necessary paperwork to register student. If there is no room student will be put on a waiting list.
Bicycles
Bicycles must be parked and locked to the bike rack inside the quad during school hours. Unicycles (yes unicycles!) are to be considered covered by this policy and are not to be stored in class rooms. Skate boards can be used with helmet for “freestyle” skating only during lunch and at the discretion of teachers.
Student Parking
Student parking is located alley in the back of the school. Students are expected to drive safely at all times. Reckless driving will result in the loss of parking privileges. During construction it is important that your car is not interfering with the ongoing work. Also note that the front of the Met has two hour parking. Students (and staff, parents, etc) are subject to
Dress Code
The following gives specific information regarding the dress code:
1. No cleavage or bare midriff tops, tank tops should have straps at least two fingers wide. Garments are to be worn in good taste allowing no undergarment to be shown. Halter tops, bare midriffs or chests, see-through outfits, or off the shoulder blouses or dresses are not appropriate or acceptable.
2. No public displays of underwear-so no sagging!
3. Shoes or sandals are to be worn at all times.
4. Any clothing that advertises or promotes drugs, alcohol or tobacco products, sex, racism or violence is unacceptable.
5. Shorts may be worn at the student's discretion. Shorts will be no shorter then finger-tip length, which is generally mid thigh. Leggings, bicycle shorts, unisex tights, and shorts with frayed bottoms are unacceptable.
6. Skirts and dresses may be worn throughout the year and must adhere to the length standard applied to shorts. There are no spaghetti strap tops or dresses allowed. Tank tops are acceptable as long as a young lady’s bra does not show.
7. Any attire or paraphernalia deemed gang related by the staff may not be worn.
8. Distracting or dangerous accessories are not permitted.
In reference to the dress code, if there is any doubt about the appropriateness of the attire, we ask students not to wear it. Students will be sent home, asked to change and/or wear a loaner item of clothing.
Exhibition and internship attire:
During exhibitions, shadow LTI days or other special events, students should dress in “interview” clothes. Students should be neat and wear professional office type attire. Students should not mistake fashionable for professional. Some suggestions:
|
Boys
|
Girls
|
The Community Handbook is available as a printed document. Please ask your advisor for a copy if needed.
The staff the Met
Students and their families must read over this information completely. In the first week of school we ask that students and their families write a written, dated response that they agree to the terms of the handbook.