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parent and student handbook gilmer high school 2010 -2011

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table of contents section i introduction/welcome letter from the principal mission statement notice of non-discrimination section ii contact information/school year calendar gcss school calendar ghs testing calendar ghs staff e-mail addresses bell schedule 2010-2011 section iii general notices student code of ethics no child left behind inclement weather information parent notification in times of emergency school website news media coverage visitor /guest sign-in procedure visits during school lunch time parent-teacher conferences lockers valuables and padlocks moment of reflection halls off limit areas of the school campus hours messages student accident insurance mandated reporters deliveries during school hours ghs attendance policy truancy excessive absences attendance credits hospital homebound services powerschool parent® student illness accidents student enrollment requirements ghs title i school improvement goals ghs school improvement plan objectives gcss parental involvement and title i ghs parental involvement plan and policy section iv academic life guidance program services college entrance exams college fair and ga college 411 peach state pathways ghsgt/ghswt proficiency transcripts release time for college visits credits for graduation extra curricular activities applied toward student grades continuous grading guidelines grading cumulative average and class ranking principal s list/honor graduate/valedictorian salutatorian graduation requirements promotion placement and retention retention for athletic purposes placement criteria for cas and mec final exams report cards interim progress reports gifted services advanced academic programs comprehensive health resource instruction textbooks and school equipment release time for religious instruction section v scheduling information advisement schedule changes dual joint enrollment programs summer school hope scholarship section vi student support services breakfast and lunch prices free and reduced lunch procedure cafeteria policy student meal payment and charges safe usage of school facilities equipment georgia work permit media center section vii student transportation drivers license learners permit student driving and parking automobile searches section viii student activities participation in school sport activities equity in sports act student athletic code of conduct sportsmanship policy and philosophy section ix extra-curricular activities clubs/organizations athletics and ghsa events section x code of student conduct 3 3 3 4 4 4 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 13 14 14 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 18 18 19 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 23 2

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section i parental notification and signature section dear bobcats welcome to gilmer high school this handbook has been put together to assist you with the many decisions you will make during your career at gilmer high school please become acquainted with this information that will help you to be successful furthermore please consult with your teachers counselors administrators and others to answer all questions and concerns you may have during the year as a bobcat you are expected to heed to the slogan learning first people always as a reminder to what we do and who we are here at ghs we want your experience to be supported by a safe and orderly school where you can receive the best education possible make every effort to be the best you can be each and every day what you learn and achieve now will set the foundation for the rest of your life hooah learning first people always erick hofstetter principal mission statement we equip and inspire students to graduate common meanings we equip inspire all of us at school and in the community without regard for departmental or personal boundaries we meet the needs and provide opportunities to learn for all students we motivate students to continually achieve excellence in all that they do graduate we meet or exceed state standards required for a high school diploma and advance to a higher level of learning and experience notice of non-discrimination the gilmer county school system does not discriminate on the basis of sex race creed age national origin marital status or handicap i n educational programs or activities receiving federal assistance title vi of the civil rights act of 1964 title ix of the educational amendments of 1972 and rehabilitation act of 1973 employees students and the general public are hereby notified that the gilmer county board of education does not discriminate in any educational programs or activities or in employment policies the following individual has been designated as the employee responsible for coordinating the board s efforts to implement this non-discriminatory policy mrs danette ozment inquiries concerning the application of title vi title ix or section 504 in regard to the policies and practices of this board may be addressed to mrs danette ozment of the gilmer county school system 497 bobcat trail ellijay georgia 30540 706-276-5000 in addition to mrs ozment other inquiries may be directed to the regional office of civil rights atlanta georgia 30323 or to the director office of civil rights education department washington d.c 30301 accessing the handbook online along with this hard copy of the student/parent handbook parents and students may access an electronic version of this handbook at the gilmer high school website www.gilmerschools.com the policies and procedures of the gilmer county school system and other pertinent information can be located and accessed at www.gilmerschools.com 3

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section ii contact information/school year calendar gilmer county school system calendar august 18 september 6 october 21 october 22 november 25-27 december 21 ­ january 3 january 4 january 5 january 17 february 18 21 april 4 8 may 20 may 21 first day for students labor day holiday professional learning day/no school for students fall break thanksgiving holiday christmas break professional learning day student holiday students return to classes mlk holiday winter break spring break last day for students graduation gilmer high school testing calendar september 20-24 2010 september 29 2010 october 13 2010 november 8-12 2010 january 5-7,2011 february 23 2011 march 21-25 2011 may 2-20 2011 may 2-13 2011 may 16-20 2011 july 14 2010 july 12-16 2010 mr erick hofstetter mrs judy leonard dr reginald kimball mr mike putman mrs michele penland mrs heidi kerley mrs gwen calhoun mr joey sullivan ms tammy welch mr alan ramfjord deputy sam smith ms peggy densmore mrs linda rogers mrs cathy hyatt mrs candy ledford mrs lucille collins mrs cathy wood mrs sue moore mr john painter mrs frances may jeris pflueger kathleen stone fall administration of ghsgt writing test ­ main administration psat winter administration of ghsgt final exams semester classes only writing test ­ spring administration main administration of ghsgt eoct spring administration advanced placement ap testing final exams writing test ­ summer administration summer administration of ghsgt gilmer high school administrative staff principal erick.hofstetter@gilmerschools.com assistant principal jleonard@gilmerschools.com assistant principal reginald.kimball@gilmerschools.com assistant principal mputman@gilmerschools.com career technical supervisor mpenland@gilmerschools.com graduation coach heidi.kerley@gilmerschools.com guidance counselor gcalhoun@gilmerschools.com guidance counselor jsullivan@gilmerschools.com guidance counselor twelch@gilmerschools.com athletic director aramfjord@gilmerschools.com school resource officer samuel.smith@gilmerschools.com rise iss coordinator peggy.densmore@gilmerschools.com administrative secretary lrogers@gilmerschools.com comptroller chyatt@gilmerschools.com registrar candy.ledford@gilmerschools.com guidance secretary lucille.collins@gilmerschools.com career technical secretary cwood@gilmerschools.com receptionist smoore@gilmerschools.com network technician jpainter@gilmerschools.com attendance clerk frances.may@gilmerschools.com media specialist japflueger@gilmerschools.com cafeteria manager kathleen.stone@gilmerschools.com gilmer high school is accredited by the georgia accrediting commission and by the southern association of colleges and schools it is a member of the georgia high school association and competes interscholastically with other high schools in our region classifications 408 bobcat trail ellijay ga 30540 main phone number 706-276-5080 fax 706-276-5092 4

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staff e-mail addresses andrea handley angelina vargas ashley stover brian barrentine carla davis cheryl star claire holt crystal king dan chambers dana rodney danielle semprini-peele david henson denise moser diane vautrot dianne davenport don kerley edmond fry eric tedders frank bachteler george woodall harold ford herb horton herbert teague jan allen janet davis jason keller jeff thurman jeffrey wyrick jennifer loudermilk joanna kilburn john jugenheimer john pettit joni whittemore josh hawk joy hice karen kerlin katrina lewitt kelly mcbride kenneth martin kerri johnston kyle barr louann teague lynne becker lynne pritchett mark pettit megan higgins melinda abercrombie melvin cagle michael shawler mike rinehart mike thompson nicole lord rebecca starring reesa frezier rhonda pavlovsky robert becker rodney thurman rusty logan sam snider scott ray sharon luke stacey hadden tammy gudger timmi shawler tony flynn vanessa cass wesley tankersley william sime andrea.handley@gilmerschools.com angelina.vargas@gilmerschools.com ashley.stover@gilmerschools.com brian.barrentine@gilmerschools.com carla.davis@gilmerschools.com cstar@gilmerschools.com cholt@gilmerschools.com crystal.king@gilmerschools.com dan.chambers@gilmerschools.com dana.rodney@gilmerschools.com danielle.semprini@gilmerschools.com david.henson@gilmerschools.com denise.moser@gilmerschools.com diane.vautrot@gilmerschools.com ddavenport@gilmerschools.com don.kerley@gilmerschools.com edmond.fry@gilmerschools.com eric.tedders@gilmerschools.com frank.bachteler@gilmerschools.com gwoodall@gilmerschools.com harold.ford@gilmerschools.com herb.horton@gilmerschools.com hteague@gilmerschools.com jallen@gilmerschools.com janet.davis@gilmerschools.com jason.keller@gilmerschools.com jthurman@gilmerschools.com jwyrick@gilmerschools.com jennifer.loudermilk@gilmerschools.com joanna.kilburn@gilmerschools.com jjugenheimer@gilmerschools.com jpettit@gilmerschools.com joni.whittemore@gilmerschools.com josh.hawk@gilmerschools.com jhice@gilmerschools.com karen.kerlin@gilmerschools.com katrina.lewitt@gilmerschools.com kelly.mcbride@gilmerschools.com kenneth.martin@gilmerschools.com kerri.johnston@gilmerschools.com kyle.barr@gilmerschools.com lteague@gilmerschools.com lbecker@gilmerschools.com lpritchett@gilmerschools.com mpettit@gilmerschools.com megan.higgins@gilmerschools.com mabercrombie@gilmerschools.com melvin.cagle@gilmerschools.com mshawler@gilmerschools.com mike.rinehart@gilmerschools.com mthompson@gilmerschools.com nicole.lord@gilmerschools.com rebecca.starring@gilmerschools.com reesa.frezier@gilmerschools.com rpavlovsky@gilmerschools.com rbecker@gilmerschools.com rthurman@gilmerschools.com rusty.logan@gilmerschools.com ssnider@gilmerschools.com scott.ray@gilmerschools.com sluke@gilmerschools.com shadden@gilmerschools.com tgudger@gilmerschools.com tshawler@gilmerschools.com tony.flynn@gilmerschools.com vcass@gilmerschools.com wesley.tankersley@gilmerschools.com wsime@gilmerschools.com teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher teacher fine arts language arts math fine arts language arts math special ed math math science language arts science science special ed ctae social studies pe language arts special ed special ed fine arts pe ctae science ctae special ed social studies ctae math math special ed pe special ed math foreign language language arts math social studies ctae math pe ctae language arts ctae pe science math ctae science ctae math language arts language arts foreign language special ed social studies social studies science pe pe language arts language arts social studies science social studies special ed social studies social studies 5

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bell schedule 2010 2011 school year 5 minutes between classes 170 day classes 1 full credit unit 85 day classes 1/2 credit unit each class meets 4 times per week 25 minute instructional focus if 7 period day 95 minute instructional focus if even block day regular bell schedule monday tuesday friday monday tuesday friday all classes meet 1st period 8:00 ­ 8:50 2nd period 8:55 ­ 9:45 3rd period 9:50 ­ 10:40 4th period 10:45 ­ 11:35 5th period if lunch 11:40 ­ 1:30 6th period 1:35 ­ 2:25 7th period 2:30 ­ 3:20 block schedule wednesday and thursday wednesday odd block ob 1st period 3rd period 5th period lunch 7th period 8:00 ­ 9:40 9:45 ­ 11:20 11:25 ­ 1:35 1:40 ­ 3:20 thursday even block eb 2nd period instructional focus 4th period lunch 6th period 8:00 ­ 9:40 9:45 ­ 11:20 11:25 ­ 1:35 1:40 ­ 3:20 instructional focus if time built into the daily schedule focusing on the gadoe teachers as advisors initiative character education enrichment remediation career exploration skill reinforcement and other school supported initiatives while protecting instructional time block schedule activity day and early release thursday activity day 2nd period 6th period 4th period lunch instructional focus activity 8:00 ­ 9:40 9:45 ­ 11:20 11:25 ­ 1:35 1:40 ­ 3:20 thursday early release 2nd period 4h period 6th period one lunch/dismissal/bus depart 8:00 ­ 9:20 9:25 ­ 10:45 10:50 ­ 12:10 12:10 ­ 1:00 6

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section iii general notices student code of ethics i will be honest in my statements and actions i will respect myself the school staff and fellow students i will respect the beliefs of others i will display good conduct and sportsmanship at school on the bus and at all school activities i will respect the property of others i will work to the best of my ability i will promote school cleanliness and the upkeep of school property i will make substitute teachers and visitors feel welcome i will support school activities no child left behind in compliance with the requirements of the no child left behind statute the gilmer county school district informs parents that you may request information about the professional qualifications of your student s teachers if you wish to request information regarding your child s teacher please contact the principal at 706 276-5080 [section 111h 6 the following information may be requested 1 whether the teacher has met the georgia professional standards commission requirements for certification for the grade level and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction 2 whether the teacher is teaching under an emergency or other provisional status through which georgia qualifications or certifications criteria have been waived 3 the college major and any graduate certification or degree held by the teacher 4 whether the student is provided services by paraprofessionals and if so their qualifications inclement weather information if inclement weather is approaching our area and it becomes necessary to cancel school/close school early the announcement will be made on all metropolitan atlanta television stations abc cbs nbc and fox as well as the following radio stations wsb 750 am wnsy 100.1 wlja 101.1 fm wlja 1560 am additionally school closings will be posted on the school district s web site www.gilmerschools.com and announced by automated telephone calls rules for bus transportation and student drivers during severe weather tornado watch principal will make decision on when to release students tornado warning principal will not release buses and student drivers until the warning is lifted or the superintendent or his designee gives permission thunderstorms principal will make decision on when to release students parent notifications in times of emergency the school district endeavors to notify parents in a timely manner relative to any schoolwide or districtwide emergencies or campus safety concerns while letters will be sent to parents impacted by the occurrence within one school day of any such event circumstances may require a more immediate notification in any such situation notifications and up-to-date information will be posted on the school district s web site at www.gilmerschools.com and through automated phone calls as it becomes available emergency procedures orderly evacuation of the classroom is necessary in the event of an emergency each room has an emergency evacuation route students should familiarize themselves with the directions posted in the classrooms during emergency evacuations students are to remain quiet and follow the evacuation route posted as well as the instructions of the teachers emergency procedures should be taken seriously it could save your life student behavior will consist of no talking or playing during an emergency situation and/or drill school web site valuable information about academic progress school news contact information upcoming school events and a variety of timely useful information can be accessed at the ghs website this website can be accessed through the school district s web site at www.gilmerschools.com news media coverage school district/school publications and web sites events and programs in public education are often considered newsworthy and of interest to local communities schools often solicit media coverage to publicize successful programs and special events concerning students and faculty your child may on occasion be interviewed or photographed by the news media for positive school news coverage additionally your child s image or intellectual property may be included in gilmer high school publications or the school webpage if a parent/guardian objects to his/her child being included in any or all of the above he/she must annually notify the principal in writing by sept 1st or within one week of admission/enrollment if enrollment occurs after sept 1st 7

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visitor/school guest sign-in procedures georgia law requires that visitors with the exception of students school district employees law enforcement officers/other public safety officials in the performance of an emergency call sign-in at the front office during the official starting and dismissal times and to provide a reason for their presence at the school all visitors are required to wear proper id and remain in the areas designated for the visit the principal or designee shall have the authority to ask any visitor to explain their presence in the school at any time when the school is in official session any person who does not have legitimate cause to be on the premises or on school property or who fails to sign-in at the designated location may be in violation of georgia law and upon investigation may face criminal prosecution guidelines for parents visiting schools during lunch time while the participation of parents at school is encouraged it may become necessary from time to time to limit the access of parents visiting with their child during lunch due to the time and space constraints parent-teacher conference parents may request a conference with their child s teachers through the guidance office all appointments will be scheduled 2 school days in advance and all the student s teachers will be invited to attend an administrator or counselor will attend the conference if requested lockers valuables and padlocks lockers will be issued during the first week of school the cost of rental of lockers is $5.00 per school year lockers are rented to individual students and are not to be shared student lockers are school property and remain under the control of the school students are expected to assume full security of their lockers periodic inspections of lockers may be conducted by school authorities for any reason at any time without notice without student consent and without a search warrant lockers should remain locked at all times no personal locks are to be placed on school lockers students are discouraged from bringing cash and valuables to school students are urged not to leave billfolds and purses unattended students in physical education classes are encouraged to deposit money jewelry and other valuables in a secured locker the school is not responsible for money or valuables which are lost or stolen individual padlocks are available to students for use in the gymnasium locker rooms they may be rented for a semester for $2.00 interested students should make a request to their physical education teacher moment of reflection in compliance with the georgia code at the opening of each day of school the teacher shall provide for all students a brief period of quiet time this moment of quiet time is not intended to be a religious service or exercise but it shall be considered an opportunity to think about one s daily activities halls halls are to be free of students during class time unless the student has a hall pass off limit areas of the school prior to the start of school and during lunch students may assemble in the commons area and cafeteria area students are not to congregate in the front of the building the front lobby the school bus drop off area parking lots hallways or stairwells during these designated times campus hours students who are not under the direct supervision of a teacher should not be on the school campus more than thirty minutes before the tardy bell in the morning nor remain on the campus more than thirty minutes after the last class bell at the end of the day students dropped off early or left late will not be supervised messages telephone messages will only be accepted for students from a parent or guardian classes will not be interrupted for messages messages will be delivered at the last period of the day or earlier if the situation warrants student accident insurance school accident insurance is offered through the school district to students several insurance plans are available to provide protection against medical expenses resulting from accidental injury to your child enrollment materials are sent home with students at the beginning of each school year mandated reporters georgia law requires persons in some professions to report suspected abuse and/or neglect they are called mandated reporters mandated reporters are required to report abuse if that person attends to a child as a member of the staff of a hospital school social agency or similar facility that person must notify the person in charge of the facility or the designated delegate who must then report the abuse a staff member who makes a report to the designated person is deemed to have fully complied with the law any other person who has reasonable cause to believe that a child is being abused may report an oral report must be made as soon as possible by telephone to dfcs protective services which is designated by the department of human resources or to an appropriate law enforcement authority or district attorney if a report of child abuse is made by dfcs or independently discovered by dfcs then dfcs must immediately notify the appropriate law enforcement authority or district attorney legal reference o.c.g.a 19-7-5 c 2 d e deliveries during school hours flowers balloons or any other non-school items will not be delivered to students at school 8

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gilmer high school attendance policy truancy students with seven unexcused absences will be referred to the school social worker parents of students with excessive absences may be required by the school administrator to provide physician s notes for absences to be considered excused any student 16 or older who is absent unlawfully either 10 consecutive days or 40 total days may be dropped from the attendance records the principal has the discretion of entering or reentering in the present grading period any student 16 or older who has failed to attend for unlawful reasons excessive absences after a student misses at least 16 days during the school year or eight 8 school days in a half unit course a student may not receive credit for that class unless a waiver is granted by the attendance committee if all absences are not excused the student and his/her parent/legal guardian will be invited to attend an attendance waiver meeting at which time documentation for absences will be required failure to provide documentation to the school for each absence may result in a loss of course credit attendance credits for participation in ghsa sponsored activity students shall be counted present when they are in attendance at school for at least one half of the instructional day attending a school or school district-sponsored field trip or serving as pages of the georgia general assembly hospital/homebound services if major sickness or injury occurs and absenteeism is lengthy the student may receive credit by instruction through application to the hospital/homebound program parents/guardians of students needing these services must contact the guidance office powerschool parent® portal the powerschool parent® portal is a confidential and secure website where parents can access current information about a child s attendance and grades the ghs guidance office can provide parents in person with id only with parent activation codes and instructions for setting up an online account student illness accidents during school hours students who become ill or injured at school should report the problem to a teacher or staff member parents or guardians will be notified as the condition warrants please make sure emergency contact information is kept up to date with ghs student enrollment requirements students must reside in gilmer county with their parent or legal guardian students must provide proof of residence students must have a certified copy of their birth certificate students must have a certificate of immunization form 3231 department of human resources students must have a certificate of eye ear and dental examination form 3300 department of human resources students are requested to present their social security card gilmer high school title i school improvement plan goals gilmer high school has developed a new school improvement plan and has received accreditation from sacs gilmer high school has developed the following strategic goals 1 2 3 every student at gilmer high school will pass the georgia high school graduation test every student at gilmer high school will fulfill his or her individual four year plan every student at gilmer high school will a reach high standards at a minimum attaining proficient or better in language arts/reading and mathematics b become proficient in english c be taught by highly qualified teachers d be educated in learning environments that are safe drug free and conducive for learning and e graduate from high school gilmer high school will reduce the number of students absent 15 days or more of each school year gilmer high school will improve and increase parent participation and involvement in the educational process gilmer high school will decrease the achievement gap of students in special instructional programs and/or subgroups gilmer high school improvement plan objectives for 2010-2011 objective 1 by june 2011 92.5 of 11th grade students meeting the gadoe rule will score meet or exceed on ela ghsgt objective 2 by june 2011 87 of 11th grade students meeting the gadoe rule will score meet or exceed on math ghsgt objective 3 by june 2011 94.5 of 11th grade students meeting the gadoe rule will score meet or exceed on science ghsgt objective 4 by june 2011 88.5 of 11th grade students meeting the gadoe rule will score meet or exceed on ghswt objective 5 by june 2011 all gilmer high school students will have evidence of personalization 4 5 6 9

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parental involvement and title i gilmer county resources for parents parental information and resource center at gilmer high school gilmer high school s parental information and resource center is located within the guidance office students and parents are encouraged to visit the center qualified staff is available to assist with answering questions and general information additional resources are located in the media center as well feel free to contact the parental information and resource center at 706-276-5080 parent/guardian resource center at gilmer county schools website a wealth of information regarding gilmer schools may be found at this site the site may be accessed from the gilmer county schools website at www.gilmerschools.com by clicking the button on the left of the page items found here include information regarding school and county procedures and programs the family educational rights and privacy act how to access your child s grades and attendance the gilmer county parental involvement policy georgia performance standards adequate yearly progress free and reduced price meals access to the gilmer county schools governor s report card bus routes for any individuals that do not have online access contact the gilmer county central office at 706-276-5000 to receive hard copy information of any of the above opportunities to serve gilmer county schools value the input and assistance from parents contact your child s school regarding opportunities to serve as school volunteers district or school parental involvement council members school council members psto members or officers state resources for parents parental information and resource center parental information and resource center is a website that provides information and resources that we hope you will find useful in your role as the primary educator of your children there is valuable information here about the federal no child left behind legislation and what it specifically means to your child or children the schools they are attending and the local school district for example if your child is attending a low-performing school you may be able to get free assistance for tutors or other supplemental education services you will find tips that may prove useful when talking with teachers or school officials if you have younger children we have great advice regarding book selection and effective ways to read with them if you want to get more involved at your child s school you will find some interesting ways to do this that fit your schedule and interests the site may be found at http georgiapirc.net state content standards the georgia performance standards gps gives clear guidelines for teaching the subjects testing what students are learning and the work students are doing they explain the level of work rigor that allows a teacher to know how good is good enough www.georgiastandards.org allows parents easy access to information about the state s curriculum standards the web site also offers a variety of free resources to help you motivate and support your child s curriculum at home while reinforcing the standards your child is working on in the classroom information for parents include frameworks frameworks are like lesson plans they are the teaching and learning activities that help promote student success as it relates to the georgia performance standards they may include tasks activities rubrics guides used to score lessons and resources for the units testing resources testing resources are available to help parents understand and students get ready for standardized tests choose to view explanations of the different assessment programs administered at the various grade levels as well as resources to help your students prepare for general assessment program information including currently scheduled test administration dates you may also visit the testing division website the lexile framework for reading the lexile framework for reading is a new resource for parents and educators that focuses on improving early reading skills and increasing adolescent literacy the relationships between the reading levels of a student to the difficulty of text such as a book or magazine article are called lexile measures these measures are then linked to scores on the georgia criterion reference competency test crct and the 10

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georgia high school graduation test ghsgt reading assessments teachers parents and library media specialists can use lexile measures to choose texts that are likely to improve the reading and comprehension skills of students special education services and support the division of special education services and support offers resources to parents of students with disabilities you will find a guide to your rights and responsibilities information about dispute resolution and special education legal aid providers as well as links to major family organizations that can provide additional support gifted education find information about how students are identified for gifted education programs as well as information about other programs and opportunities for gifted students title i parent service unit the title i parent service unit provides information to parents of students attending title i schools this information includes supplemental education services including academic assistance like tutoring and remediation parental involvement which provides training to parents about their rights under the title i of the no child left behind law preschool and family literacy including parent training about how you can help your child prepare to enter kindergarten verizon thinkfinity this comprehensive web site provides a wealth of educational and literacy resources for students parents and after-school programs the goal of verizon thinkfinity is to provide resources to strengthen problem-solving creativity and critical thinking skills homework help and interactive games and activities that make learning fun brochures online at http public.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_communications.aspx under print materials elementary gps brochures middle school gps brochures kindergarten brochure promotion/retention information significant cognitive disabilities gps brochures high school information grades 3-5 brochure graduation requirements english grades 6-8 brochure graduation requirements spanish grades 9-12 brochure ap psat and sat brochure parental involvement and title i the parental involvement provisions in title i part a of the elementary and secondary education act esea reflect these principles specifically these provisions stress shared accountability between schools and parents for high student achievement including expanded public school choice and supplemental educational services for eligible children in low-performing schools local development of parental involvement plans with sufficient flexibility to address local needs and building parents capacity for using effective practices to improve their own children s academic achievement new reporting provisions added by the no child left behind nclb act offer parents important insight into their children s education the professional qualifications of their teachers and the quality of the schools they attend paraprofessional o hold at least an associate s degree in any subject or have completed two years of college coursework 60 semester hours or have passed a psc-approved paraprofessional assessment if eligibility is established through assessment the applicant must also hold a high school diploma or ged equivalent pass a criminal record check employing school system applies for certificate o o teachers o classroom teachers must hold a valid georgia teachers certificate to be the teacher of record in any classroom 11

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georgia has adopted a combination of individualized requirements and some commonly used standards developed by the national association of state directors of teacher education and certification nasdtec the georgia professional standards commission outlines the state certification system in rules and procedures for the certification of education personnel all teachers and paraprofessionals in gcss meet certification requirements as set by the state of georgia o parental involvement always has been a centerpiece of title i however for the first time in the history of the esea it has a specific statutory definition the statute defines parental involvement as the participation of parents in regular two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities including ensuring that parents play an integral role in assisting their child s learning that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child s education at school that parents are full partners in their child s education and are included as appropriate in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child and that other activities are carried out such as those described in section 1118 of the esea in implementing parental involvement programs activities and procedures the gilmer county school system gcss will not discriminate on the basis of race color national origin sex disability or age consistent with 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 title ii of the americans with disabilities act of 1990 ada and the age discrimination act of 1975 parental rights under title i to decline enrollment in a language instructional program and to choose another program or method of instruction if available to remove their child immediately from language instructional program upon the parents request gcss has adopted a written procedures consistent with state law for receiving and resolving any complaint from an organization or individual that the sea lea or other agency or consortium of agencies is violating a federal statute or regulation that applies to the title i part a program such as the school accountability or parental involvement provisions the procedures are disseminated free of charge through the district policy that may be found in this handbook gcss receives a title i part a allocation of greater than $500,000 and therefore must reserve not less than one percent of its title i part a allocation to carry out the provisions of section 1118 including promoting family literacy and parenting skills the lea must involve parents of title i part a participating children in decisions about how it allots to schools the funds gcss has reserved for parental involvement activities the involvement of parents should be in a manner consistent with the definition of parental involvement a-1 in terms of process and representation an lea may choose to use its district-wide parent advisory council if it has chosen to establish one to provide advice on this and other matters relating to title i part a programs schools served under title i part a must involve parents in an organized ongoing and timely way in the planning review and improvement of title i part a programs including o the planning review and improvement of the school parental involvement policy and o the joint development of any school wide program plan under section 1114b 2 each school served under title i part a must convene an annual meeting at a time convenient for parents to inform them of their school s participation in title i part a programs and to explain the title i part a requirements and the right of parents to be involved in those programs in order to keep parents informed schools must invite to this meeting all parents of children participating in title i part a programs and encourage them to attend schools must offer a flexible number of additional parental involvement meetings such as in the morning or evening so that as many parents as possible are able to attend upon the request of parents schools must provide opportunities for regular meetings for parents to formulate suggestions and to participate as appropriate in decisions about the education of their children each year a school that receives title i part a funds must provide parents with an individual student report informing them on their child s level of achievement on the state s assessments in at least reading/language arts and math gcss must provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children s achievement such as literacy training for parents if necessary and using technology to foster parental involvement 12

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gilmer high school parental involvement policy and plan gilmer high school is committed to working together to provide the best education for your children please review our current parental involvement plan we encourage and need your input in making our school the best it can be thank you for staying involved in your child s education we look forward to a successful year if you have any questions please call our school at 706 276-5080 gilmer high school mission statement we equip and inspire students to graduate statement of purpose the faculty and staff of gilmer high school are committed to providing a quality education for all students and to recognizing the essential role of parents and the value of their input goal 1 provide parents with the opportunity to have input in the parental involvement plan at gilmer high school strategies provide parents with a copy of the school­parent involvement plan via the student handbook cat herding back to school night open house and on the school website before october 1 provide parents with opportunities to give input and suggestions for revision of the gilmer high school plan through lsac parent advisory and ptsa meetings as well as online blogs and threads provide parents with a copy of the district s parental involvement plan goal 2 provide outreach for parents of limited english proficiency lep students so they can be involved in their child s education strategies follow the district lep plan to assess possible lep students and communicate with parents regarding this process coordinate with various agencies to assist parents of lep students provide whenever possible pertinent school information in the parents native language goal 3 provide an opportunity for parents and their children s school to jointly develop a school­parent compact that is to be implemented annually and includes the school s responsibility to provide high­quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment the way in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their child s learning and strategies that will address the importance of ongoing communication between teachers and parents strategies review the school­parent compact annually for revisions by the local school advisory council lsac provide opportunities to review the compact with parents during back to school night noche latino lsac meetings ptsa workshops etc goal 4 provide notice and information under the parents right to know requirements to all parents in title i schools in an understandable and uniform format and to the extent practicable in a language parents can understand strategies parents of every child will be provided with a current copy of the student progression plan a minimum of once a year during registration notify parents through ptsa meetings letters and other means that the faculty and staff are highly qualified and meet required standards within 30 days from the first day of school notify parents via a letter if their teacher or paraprofessionals in their child s classroom are not highly qualified within 30 days from the first day of school goal 5 provide opportunities for parental involvement capacity building at gilmer high school strategies orientations for all parents interested in volunteering will be conducted and coordinated with the central office parent involvement activities will be scheduled and advertised throughout the year childcare will be made available at all parent involvement workshops seminars and other activities an annual parent survey requesting parental input on workshops will be administered annually increase communication through intouch powerschool parent website traffic newsletters and local media to enhance parent participation schedule and deliver workshops with community­based organizations and businesses to support the capacity building efforts of parental involvement ptsa will evaluate and identify barriers to successful parental involvement 13

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section iv academic life guidance program services the purpose of the guidance department is to help students plan their academic program prepare for vocational school or college and resolve personal problems guidance counselors are available for individual consultation each student is also assigned a faculty adviser to assist in the student s academic program guidance services offered by the school are designed to assist the student in making appropriate choices plans and interpretations in a number of areas among the functions of this service are educational vocational and personal counseling standardized testing and maintenance of student information files enrollment withdrawal and assistance in scheduling a student wishing to meet with the counselor should schedule an appointment with his/her assigned counselor conferences with parents are welcomed college entrance exams the scholastic aptitude test sat is a measure of the critical thinking skills needed for academic success in college the sat assesses how well a student analyzes and solves problems all colleges and universities in georgia accept scores from the sat for admission purposes students may register online for the sat at www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/about.html the college board offers fee waivers for students meeting certain financial criteria the georgia department of education provides a free sat online preparation course to all georgia students at www.gadoe.org/satprepclass the american college test act assesses high school students general educational development and their ability to complete college level work all colleges and universities in georgia accept scores from the act for admission purposes students may register online for the act at www.actstudent.org act offers fee waivers for students meeting certain financial criteria the sat and act testing dates are sat testing dates for 2010-2011 oct 9 sept 9 registration deadline nov 6 oct 1 registration deadline dec 4 oct 30 registration deadline jan 22 dec 15 registration deadline mar 12 feb 4 registration deadline may 7 mar 25 registration deadline june 4 april 29 registration deadline act testing dates for 2010-2011 sept 11 aug 7 registration deadline oct 23 sept 18 registration deadline dec 11 nov 6 registration deadline feb 12 jan 5 registration deadline april 9 feb 5 registration deadline june 11 may 7 registration deadline advanced placement courses are college-level courses offered by trained high school teachers in the regular high school setting the high school teachers who offer ap courses are trained by the college board to offer the course at a college-level and have a syllabus approved by the college board ap courses are challenging and require significant study time on a daily basis assessments in these classes require sophisticated critical thinking skills in may of each year ap students take the ap exams students who score at the 3 4 or 5 level may be able to earn college credit for these courses taken in the high school policies for credit differ from college to college so take care to check college admissions and credit policies advanced placement ap test dates 2010-2011 morning exam 8:00 a.m afternoon exam 12:00 noon chemistry psychology environmental science computer science a art history spanish language calculus ab chinese language and culture calculus bc english literature and japanese language and culture composition latin vergil german language european history united states history studio art ­ portfolios due biology physics b music theory physics c mechanics united states government and comparative government and politics politics french language english language and statistics composition macroeconomics microeconomics world history human geography spanish literature monday may 2 2011 tuesday may 3 2011 wednesday may 4 2011 thursday may 5 2011 friday may 6 2011 monday may 9 2011 tuesday may 10 2011 wednesday may 11 2011 thursday may 12 2011 friday may 13 2011 14

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college fair probe and georgia college 411 http www.gacollege411.org the one stop shop for college information managed by the georgia student finance commission it is the home of the hope scholarship program all students who plan to attend college must register with gacollege411 probe is a college fair that provides students with an opportunity to visit with college representatives and the georgia student finance commission the probe tour travels around georgia each fall and usually comes to the gilmer county area in september/october peach state pathways georgia s peach state pathways is career initiative for high school students that lead to a diploma or an associate s degree through agreements or articulations between high schools and technical institutes in georgia students may gain credits that allow them to bypass or skip selected postsecondary courses at technical institutes proficiency on the georgia high school graduation test each 11th grade student is required to show proficiency in the georgia high school test which covers the following areas writing language arts mathematics science and social studies students who are not successful in passing any portion of the ghsgt will be provided the opportunity for remediation transcripts a student may obtain an official transcript of his/her grades credits earned and standardized test scores by completing a form in the guidance office per signed student request transcripts will be mailed or made available for self-pickup there will be a $2.00 fee for each transcript requested there is no limit to the number of transcripts that may be requested transcripts will not be available to students who have unresolved financial or discipline issues there is no charge to transfer records and transcripts for students transferring to another high school release time for college visits college visits are to be counted as field trips and not as absences seniors are allowed one college visit day per semester juniors are allowed one college visit day spring semester students must get a form from the counselor s office before the visit and provide documentation from a college official that they have participated in a recruitment program or arranged visitation through the admissions and/or recruitment office it is the student s responsibility to inform their teacher by showing them the college visitation form prior to the visit and make up work missed in classes if the student does not show the form to his/her teachers he or she will be counted absent credits for graduation credits for high school graduation will be accepted for hours earned in day school approved night school/summer school programs and transfer credit from another accredited sacs institution extra curricular activities applied toward student grades students shall not be expected to participate in any activity nor attend any extracurricular event or performance for the sole purpose of earning credit or extra credit points toward their final grade average continuous grading grade-books for yearlong high school classes will consist of one year-long spreadsheet student will receive progress grades at the 6 12 18 24 and 30 week points as reported on interim/progress reports calculation of course average course averages for classes which do not have an end of course test will be calculated using the following formula 80 of the course work during the instructional year up to 20 for a final exam course averages for classes which have an end of course test will be calculated using the following formula 85 of the course work during the instructional year 15 end of course test/final exam mastery learning students must show mastery of learning for the standards of each course if a student does not achieve a mastery level of at least 70 for the standards assessed a grade of no mastery shown should be placed in the grade book and the student and parent notified that mastery learning of the standard must be shown before credit for the course or standard can be earned the career skill of the ability to meet deadlines and the character education trait to fulfill obligations is supported by gilmer high school therefore students are taught to take ownership of their education and present an honest effort at meeting standards throughout the entire course of study students have a right to show mastery of the standard but also have the responsibility to work toward/attempt to show mastery within 10 school days of when the first attempt was made if the student does not make an attempt to show mastery within the ten day period the students grade will be recorded in the grade book and applied according to the teacher s grading scale general grading guideline a student s grade will not be lowered as a means of punishment except in a case involving plagiarism cheating or disruption/interference of a test i.e a student s giving or receiving assistance during an exam period will be sufficient grounds for some appropriate reduction on the grade for that particular exam 15

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