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Welcome to John Read Middle School
John Read Middle School is a bridge between Redding Elementary School and Joel Barlow High School. Our curriculum is specifically tailored to meet the unique developmental needs of a middle school student as we provide student-centered, yet increasingly challenging subject matter to our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. We are very proud of our outstanding reputation and course offerings. We at John Read Middle School hope to provide experiences that will assist our emerging adolescents in making the difficult transition from childhood dependence to adult independence. We look forward to a rewarding and successful year with our students. This handbook will inform parents and students of what is offered as well as what is expected from our students. There are, of course, some rules and regulations that students must follow. In general, these rules will require students to behave in an appropriate manner to ensure the safety, health, and well being for all of our students. Please contact the staff at John Read for assistance with any questions on school procedures, rules, policies, or activities. Mrs. Dianne F. Otteson - Principal and Assistant Superintendent Mrs. Laura Kaddis - Assistant Principal Mrs. Sandy Gernhard - Guidance 7/8 Ms. Holly Perno - Gudiance 5/6 |
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Goal One: Motivation To Learn Redding students will develop strong motivation by:
Redding public school students will, to their full potential:
Redding public school students will:
Redding public school students will:
Redding public school students will:
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Announcements are made during homeroom, after lunch, or over the school's public address system during passing periods. |
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Daily attendance is required by state law. Good attendance is very important if students are to receive the best possible education. Protracted absences or irregular attendance are often the direct cause of scholastic failure. |
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A pupil being dismissed early must have a note from and signed by a parent. The note should be given to the office when the child arrives to school. When leaving the building, the student reports to the office, signs out and is dismissed. Please remember that we cannot substitute a phone call for a written permission note. |
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John Read students are expected to be orderly and courteous at all times. Students are responsible for the impression of our school created by the student body. Unacceptable behavior includes whistling and unnecessary clapping or talking during the assemblies. Students are not to wear hats in an assembly. |
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The Scholar Leader Award is given to an eighth grade male and female who have distinguished themselves with outstanding scholarship and leadership in school and the community. The selection of these students is made by members of the faculty. These students receive their award at an annual banquet sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Schools. The Weller Foundation Award goes to the eighth grader with the highest grade point average over all three middle school years. Many teachers and departments present additional awards to students throughout the year. |
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Students receive twenty minutes for lunch. Lunch may be purchased for $2.00. This includes lunch and milk. Milk may be purchased for $.40. A la carte items are also available, as is a snack and a juice vending machine. Candy and soda are not available in the lunch line or in the snack machines. Please note that students are not permitted to have lunch/milk charges. It is the student's responsibility to bring lunch to school if not buying lunch. Any lunch brought to school for a student will be marked with the student's name and left on the office counter to be picked up as the student passes to lunch. |
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During lunch, students should follow the following rules:
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Each student at John Read Middle School should make a sincere effort to do his/her best work and to develop standards of personal conduct that are reflected in socially approved behavior. Each student should accept responsibility for his/her own actions, respect the rights of others, comply with the authority of teachers and administrators, and obey rules made both by school authority and the student council. |
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Any student who receives two grades of D or below on a report card during any reporting period in the year will be placed on academic probation and referred to the Child Study Team for additional support. Academic probation means that a student is denied extra-curricular activities, including sports, music, social and academic clubs, drama activities, socials/dances, end-of-year activities, and promotion ceremony until the next progress reports are issued. A student would be placed on academic probation the day report cards are issued and will be restricted from all extra-curricular, social activities, and evening functions (except extra help sessions) until interims are sent to families. For a student placed on academic probation, all classroom teachers will be responsible for sending an interim. |
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Students are expected to pass from one class to another with a minimum of noise. Students should walk to the right and adhere to the "hands-off" policy. Students may not skip stairs, run, or slide on the banisters. |
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Students of JRMS are given the responsibility of dressing for school in appropriate attire to the best of their ability in accordance with neatness, modesty, health and safety. Students may not wear clothing or other items that are distracting to the class. Guidelines are:
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School trips for educational purposes will occasionally be sponsored by various teachers in the school. A student must bring written permission from a parent or guardian to participate in a field trip. Since field trips are considered a privilege, the administration reserves the right to suspend students from trips based upon their ability to demonstrate self-discipline and control. Students on social probation may not attend field trips. All rules and regulations of the school apply to students attending field trips. |
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Students will have several fire drills throughout the school year. Students are expected to exit quickly and silently while listening to the adult in charge. Emergency exits are posted in every room. Any student involved in a false fire alarm, bomb threat, or call to 911 will be suspended and reported to the police. |
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Flex period will occur daily before or after lunch for each grade. Students may attend a number of activities that range from study skills, to organized games, to library time. |
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In the morning, students are to go directly from the buses to their lockers and then to homeroom. Students are to remain in homeroom unless they have been given a valid pass. Before the academic day begins and all other times except during the changing of classes, no student may use the lavatory unless they have a pass from a teacher. |
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Students are expected to report to school between 9:10 and 9:23 a.m. The last period ends at 3:27 p.m., where students then report to bus rooms to wait until their bus arrives. |
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The LMC (formerly known as the Library) in an integral part of academic and social life at John Read. The LMC has an inventory of nearly 20,000 items, including about 4000 works of fiction, nearly 1,000 reference books, and about 350 videos. The LMC also subscribes to four daily newspapers and over 70 periodicals (including professional journals) for student and staff curricular and recreational reading. The LMC has a computer local-area network (LAN) consisting of seven student stations, two administrative stations, and a fileserver. Included on the LAN are the Card Catalog, EBSCO Middle Search and NewsBank (periodical search databases), Exegy (current affairs and politics), Microsoft Encarta and Bookshelf, and several "stand alone" databases. The LRTC at opens at 8 a.m. for student and staff use except when meetings are held in the facility. |
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Students will be assigned a locker. Students may use lockers four times per day-before school, before and after lunch, and after school. Students are not allowed to use lockers during class time. It is the intention of the Board of Education that a student's privacy be respected. Lockers, which are loaned to students by the Board of Education, may be searched, however, for compelling reasons, such as , but not confined to, a bomb scare or a student's possible involvement in a crime or violation of school regulations. The school reserves the right to remove any lock. Students are responsible for their own property. They should not bring large amounts of money or other valuables to school. If they are bringing in money for a school activity, please have a check made out to JRMS ACTIVITY FUND. If personal items are lost, damaged, stolen or money is missing, please understand that the school carries NO INSURANCE that will cover the loss. Therefore, please be most careful with your personal property, the property of other students, the staff and the school. |
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Items found in the school should be brought to the office. If students have lost an item, please do not hesitate to check in the office. Often items are turned in and we are unable to locate the owner. Loss of money or valuables should be reported promptly, but the school cannot be held responsible for loss of money or other valuables. Parents are encouraged to label children's possessions. |
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For each day a student is absent a "0" will be entered in pencil in the grade book for all work missed. Each student will have the number of days absent, from day of return, to make up this work and hand it in to each teacher. In the case of legitimate absences teachers are requested to be available for extra help and to make every effort to encourage students to make up work missed. It is hoped that parents will carefully weigh the possible benefits a child will derive from a vacation while school is in session against the problems created by missed class sessions. If parents do decide to take their child out of school for a reason such as a vacation, the absences are unexcused and work missed is to be made-up within one week upon the child's return to school. The "participation" part of work missed can not be made up and may adversely affect the child's grade. |
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Only messages which are of an emergency nature will be passed on to students. We will not disrupt classes to give a student a message unless it is truly an emergency. We will not allow students to take phone calls, even from parents. Administration or guidance staff will pass on necessary messages. |
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Do not bring radios, cellular phones, electronic or regular games, beepers, CD/tape players, walkmen, playing cards or any other non-educational related items that may cause a disruption to the classroom setting or school. If students are seen with any non-permitted item, they will be asked to turn it over to a teacher or administrator. It will be returned to the student or parent or guardian. JRMS is not responsible if these items are stolen. Also, games such as Magic or Pogs or cards, etc. are not allowed in school. Stuffed animals, beanie babies and other toys are not allowed in school. Tamagachis are not allowed in school. Gum chewing is prohibited in school. Permission must be obtained from a teacher and then the office before animals are brought to school for any reason. Book bags are not used in the classroom. They may be used by students to bring books, articles, to and from school only. They should be stored in students' lockers |
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The John Read Middle School National Honor Society is one which promotes recognition for students who reflect outstanding accomplishments in the areas of scholarship, character, leadership, service, and citizenship. Any seventh or eighth grade student who maintains a 3.7 cumulative grade point average from grade six on will be invited to apply for membership into this organization at the end of the first semester this year. Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, character, and citizenship by a faculty council. |
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Applicants for admission and employment, students, parents, and employees, sources of referral for applicants for admission and employment, and all unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with the Redding Board of Education are hereby notified that this district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the Redding Board of Education compliance with regulation implementing Section 504 is directed to contact Joan Parker, Director of Special Services, 33 Lonetown Road, Redding, CT 06896 (203)938-9026 who has been designated to coordinate the district's efforts to comply with the regulations implementing Section 504. |
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Under normal circumstances, students are expected to be in the classroom or activity to which they have been assigned except during changing of classes. They will not be permitted to leave a classroom without a pass signed by a faculty member. If students find it necessary to go the nurse's office, they must get a pass from the teacher. Students can not learn the classroom content if they miss part of the lesson being taught. |
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The Middle School PE curriculum provides physical activities based on the need of emerging adolescents to better understand and use their bodies. As involvement in the program as a participant rather than a spectator is critical for students, we have three very important rules:
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In most cases, within the first week of school, students will be issued books and materials that are required in each course. Textbook numbers and book conditions are recorded by each teacher and the student is responsible for returning the book in the same condition as it was when distributed. Should any student owe fines for texts, library books or supplies for a period of 30 days, the student will be placed on social probation until accountabilites are paid. |
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All student activities sponsored by the school must be approved by the Principal, designed to be appropriate for the grade levels involved, consistent with the stated Philosophy and Objectives of the school, and well chaperoned by staff and parents. Students of John Read Middle School are hereby formally notified that student activities in this school are an EARNED PRIVILEGE that may be withheld from individuals, groups, grades or the student body as a whole, due to vandalism of school property, inappropriate behavior of groups or individuals during the regular school day, before or after school hours or at student activities. The Principal of the school shall have the final decision in granting, withholding, or withdrawing of student activity privileges. The social experiences and programs provided will be appropriate for middle school youth and will not emulate the social experiences of the high school. ALL school social events will be chaperoned by an administrator, teachers, and parents. |
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In order to establish and maintain a wholesome atmosphere at these social affairs, parents, faculty and especially students are asked to cooperate in observing the following rules:
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Support services exist at JRMS to help adolescents adjust to and thrive in their school. Among others, some of our groups focus on the following issues:
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Our school nurse, is on duty full-time during the school day. The nurse is available to render first-aid when accidents occur and when students become ill. No internal medicine is administered without a doctor's written authorization. Forms for this may be obtained from the Nurse. May we emphasize that if a student has been sick at home he/she should be kept at home until completely recovered. We realize that some children will develop illness during the day and must be sent home, but we urge again that those children who have not been well should be kept at home until they have fully recovered. A pupil is eligible for homebound tutoring if written verification is submitted by the doctor indicating a protracted illness. The Board of Education in compliance with the State of Connecticut, requires that each child attending school must be fully immunized against measles, rubella (German Measles), and poliomyelitis and DPT and that medical documentation must be provided to the school proving such immunization. |
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The district complies with state and federal regulations regarding confidentiality and access to student records. Both custodial and non-custodial parents have access to student records unless the school is in possession of a court order stating otherwise. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires that eligible students and parents have the right to:
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Students will be allowed to use the school pay phone only with the written permission of a teacher or administrator. This rule applies before and after school as well as during school.. Please insist that your child have a quarter with him/her at all times. If there is an emergency at school, we will call a parent. On a day dismissed early because of snow, children will not be allowed to use the office phones. Please, in bad weather listen to the local radio station. |
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Throughout the year, photographs and videotapes of students, staff and school guests are taken during the school day and at school activities. These photos and videos may be used in school or school system displays and publications, and may be incorporated into school displays around the town, and may be submitted to local and area newspapers and publications. For instance, photos of JRMS students involved in the school play or sports are regularly included in The Redding Pilot or The Danbury News Times. Also, many candid photographs are included in the yearbook. If you do not want your child included in such a photo or video, please write Mrs. Dianne Otteson, c/o JRMS to let her know this. We also request that parents who take photos/videos or JRMS students and/or staff in school and at school activities, and who plan to submit such photos to the press or media, discuss this with school administration before the photos/videos are submitted. This will help protect families who do not wish photos of their children published or used in the media. |
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Phone 1-800-750-7678 to reach Post Line. Key in 1506 to reach the JRMS line. Key in 2 to access the directory of Faculty and Staff, then either key in the person's four digit code or key in the first four letters of the staff member's last name. Staff members will change the homework and instructional message on their voice mailboxes each day by 5:00 p.m.. Parents may call each day after 5:00 p.m. to hear about homework assignments for that evening and learn of other important instructional activities such as scheduled tests and projects. The JRMS phone number is 938-2533. The office is staffed to take calls between 7:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Summer office hours are from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. |
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Samuel Staples Elementary School |
Helen Keller Middle School |
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