Attendance and Tardiness

An absence is defined as any part of a school day when a student is not present in class or at a designated class field trip.  This includes early dismissals.  Absences at the very beginning of the school day are tardies.  The rules for tardies are listed separately. 

1. Absences that are due to illness, death in the family, or medical appointments.  These absences are excused.  When the child returns, he/she should bring a note.  The work missed may be made up at the discretion of the teacher.  Assignments may be picked up in the Middle School office at 2:00pm if they are requested by 9:00am the morning of the absence.

2. Absences for vacations and other family events are not excused. The work for the missed days may be made up if an absence approval form is submitted and approved.  It is the responsibility of the student/parent to obtain any missed assignments.

3. Absences due to church trips will be counted as excused.  A note from the church must be turned in to the Middle School office. 

Planned absences require that parents fill out an absence approval form.  This form can be picked up at the Middle School office.

A student may have up to twenty absences per year.  A student with twenty or more absences per year will have to have the approval of the principal in order to be promoted to the next grade. Three tardies constitute an absence. 

School begins promptly at 7:45 am.  A student will be considered tardy after 7:45 unless notified by the office.  A red flag will be placed outside at the drop-off locations, signaling that your student is tardy.  If your student is tardy you MUST come into the Middle School office to fill out a tardy slip. Three unexcused tardies constitute one absence, so students need to arrive at school and be in their first period class by 7:45 am.

A student must be in school for no less than one-half day to be counted present.  The half-day ends at 11:30am.  Excessive absences, tardies, and early dismissal will impair the students’ acquiring the education needed.  All parts of the school day are important! 

Early Dismissal

Parents are expected to write a note to the school for a student’s early dismissal, unless there is a family emergency.  Please include the date and time of pick-up.
In addition, parents must fill out an early dismissal slip at the middle school office before a student can be dismissed.

Carline AM and PM

• The Student Identification Card must be placed on the dashboard (passenger side) of the vehicle at all times.  Any authorized person picking up a student MUST have the students’ identification card.  Please make sure to explain accurate directions and instructions to those who are picking up your child for you.  You may copy your car tag if needed. 
• Never let the child out of a vehicle without school personnel present.  Please be on time for the benefit of the child. Students are not allowed in the buildings before 7:20am without faculty/administration approval.
• At no time should you leave your vehicle unattended in the drive through lanes. If you must come inside, please park your vehicle in one of the many parking spaces. 
• When walking a child to or from the school building, please walk with extreme caution.  SAFETY FIRST!  During traffic time, please cross at the permission of crossing guard.
• Children may leave with the parent who has attended a school-wide event or class party; however please make sure that you have checked your child out with the office and filled out the appropriate form.
• Students may be released only to parents and those adults noted by parents on the Authorized Release Form.  There will be no exceptions.  Please be sure that all authorized persons understand the dismissal/pick-up policies and have a copy of the Student I.D. card.  This includes bus students at North Campus.
• All students must vacate the school premises at the end of the school day

Homework/Make-up Work

Homework is reinforcement of daily work.  Parents can expect homework to be given on a daily basis, expect for Wednesdays.  We encourage students and their families to attend Wednesday night church activities.  If a child is out of school it is the student's/parent’s responsibility to obtain the child’s schoolwork.  Work can be picked up at the Middle school office by 2:00pm if the parent has called and requested it by 9:00am.

Edline

Edline is a communication tool that we use in middle school to keep parents informed.  Each family will be assigned an access code.  From your home computer you can check edline for the latest classroom updates.  Parents will be able to check students’ academic progress in each class, homework, upcoming test, projects, and quizzes, as well as other school events.

Parties/Invitations  

On occasion, teachers will have classroom parties for various events.  Classroom parties promoted by parents must be cleared through the teacher.  Please remember that any contacts made by parents to other parents must refrain from solicitation unless promoted by HGBCS.  Parents may ask for money for classroom parties.  This may not exceed 2 parties at $5.00 each.

Grading System

To be promoted from one grade to the next students must pass English, math, history, and science.  Students may only take up to two courses in summer school.  They must complete 30 hours for each course taken in summer school.  Although elective courses are not a promotion requirement they will be averaged into a student’s final GPA.

Report Card Calculations

6th and 7th Grade
Semester grade:  Average of both quarters.
Yearly grade: Average of both semesters.

8th Grade
Quarter 1 = 44%
Quarter 2 = 44%
Exam 1 = 12%
(Add together to equal semester I grade)
Quarter 3 = 44%
Quarter 4 = 44%
Exam 2 = 12%
(Add together to equal semester II grade)
Semester I and II are added together and divided by 2 to calculate year grade.

Progress reports will not be sent home.  It will be the responsibility of the parent to check edline.  If a parent does not have computer or internet access then a hard copy will be provided.

PARENT CONDUCT

The administration, faculty, and staff will strive to maintain an atmosphere and guidelines for the students that will promote positive behavior.  The teacher will be spiritually prepared and enthusiastic about classroom management.  Therefore, it is imperative that parents cooperate and reinforce the same. 
Following are some suggestions:

1. Pray daily for teachers, administration, and the children.
2. Be positive about the school in front of the children.
3. Be encouragers; build one another up.
4. Do not gossip.  Know the facts and support them.
5. Don’t assume.  If you don’t understand something, ask the right people.
6. Be a team player, not an individual.
7. Remember, your suggestions are important.  Let us hear from you.  School administration does not read unsigned letters.
8. When there is a concern or suggestion, please take the following steps:
   • Pray; seek the will of God.
   • Get all the facts (do not assume that your child or the person who gave you the information has given you all the facts.).
   • Make an appointment to meet with the teacher to discuss your concerns.  Then if you are not completely satisfied, the teacher and the administrator will meet together with you to address the situation.  Please do not meet with or challenge the classroom teacher without first making an appointment.
   • Your concerns are not everyone else’s concerns.  Therefore, do not involve others with concerns of your family.
   • We have an open door policy.  Therefore, please be assured that we do care about your concerns and suggestions, and will treat these with integrity and fairness.
9. Remember to have Christ-like character at all HGBCS activities on or off campus.  Please be a part of the solution and not part of the problem.  Remember, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but principalities and powers of the air.
   Ephesians 6:12

Middle School Code of Conduct

The administration and faculty at HGBCS are very proud of the student body overall.  In order for the school to provide an environment that is safe, reflecting good behavior, and the least amount of distractions in the classroom, a student conduct code was developed that will enhance this effort.  Hickory Grove Baptist Christian School desires for all of its students to live a life that will influence others to follow Jesus Christ and to be a role model for the Christian faith.

HGBCS Middle School Student Conduct Code:

Following is a list of discipline acts and how they will be administered if committed by any student of HGBCS. These guidelines and regulations are designed to protect all members of HGBCS. They are effective in the following places:

1. The school grounds, during lunch, immediately before school and immediately after school
2. Any time the school is being used by a school group
3. Any school-sponsored activity on or off campus
4. On any school bus or van

If a student is found to be guilty of any of the following acts, the student will be subject to immediate expulsion from HGBCS and will not be allowed to re-enroll.

Immediate expulsion with no return to HGBCS:
This includes but is not limited to:

• Threats and weapons on school property
• This includes but is not limited to, intimidating, threatening, or hostile behavior, physical abuse, vandalism, arson, use of weapon, or possession of any kind of weapon on school property.  Weapons include, but are not limited to handguns, rifles, shotguns, BB guns, pellet guns, knives, matches, lighters or any other objects that are used to intimidate others.
• Usage, sale, or possession of illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, or alcohol on school property or during any school sponsored event
• Pregnancy (includes the male if he attends HGBCS)
• Exceptions will be made in cases of proven rape.
• Sexual promiscuity in or out of school.
• Sexual harassment
•  This includes, but is not limited to repeated offensive sexual flirtation, continual or repeated verbal abuse of a sexual nature, graphic or degrading verbal comments about an individual’s appearance, display of suggestive objects, pictures, or pornography, or any offensive or abusive physical contact.
• Harassment
•   This includes, but is not limited to, any annoying action that singles out a person to the person’s objection or disadvantage, because of race, gender, religious, or national origin, disability, or personal characteristic.
• Gangs in or outside of school
• Any criminal act on or off campus
• Homosexuality or lesbianism

The Administration reserves the right to administer any disciplinary actions depending on the severity of the offense.

Other Discipline Steps and Procedures:  Lunch detention, after school detention, Saturday school or suspension may be assigned for the following infractions. 

Infractions may include but are not limited to:

• Disruptive behavior
• Consistently breaking classroom rules and/or procedures
• Consistently breaking school rules and/or procedures
• Dress code violations
• Possession or use of cell phones or any other electronic devices (devices will be taken and parents will be required to come and pick them up)
• Willful disobedience
• Disrespect
• Cheating
• Willful dishonesty (dishonesty is defined as but not limited to lying with the purpose or intent to deceive others).
• Inappropriate language
• Public display of affection
• Stealing (stealing is defined as but not limited to wrongfully taking another’s property or wrongfully in possession of another’s property)
• Misuse of computer emails sent to a student or teacher on HGBCS campus before, during, or after school hours
• Fighting
• Criminal acts (drugs, alcohol, felony activity) on or off campus
• Intimidating or threatening behavior
• Vandalism and/or destruction of school or church property
• Weapons
• Assaulting a teacher
• Any outlined infraction listed in the HGBCS student code of conduct

Please note that after three lunch detentions are assigned students will be assigned an after school detention. After a student has been assigned two after school detentions they will be assigned a Saturday school. After a student has been assigned two or more Saturday schools they may be recommended for suspension. The administration reserves the right to administer any disciplinary actions depending upon the severity of the offense and information received and verified.

When a student is suspended from school they may make up missed work for 50% credit.

Time and Place of Detentions

Lunch Detention: Held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during lunchtime. Students are required to bring a lunch and paper and pencil.

After School Detention:  Held every Thursday in a designated classroom from 2:30-3:35 pm.  Students serving an after school detention will have to pay a $5.00 fine which is due at the time of service.

Saturday School: Date will be determined according to the assignments.  Students will serve from 8:00am-11:00am.  Students serving a Saturday school will have to pay a $50.00 fine due at the time of service. 

Parent Commitment

1. We have read and understand the school’s philosophy of Christian education and the statement of faith.  We are in agreement with the purpose and philosophy of HGBCS.
2. We, as parents, accept the challenge to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), and we do state that this training will be carried out in the home.  We place our trust in HGBCS to extend that training more completely.
3. We do hereby state that we have made a thorough investigation of the school’s program, curriculum, discipline, dress code, etc., and we agree to make them our full-hearted choice for the coming year.
4. We understand that we have an obligation to be actively involved in the education of our children.  We agree to uphold and support the high academic standards of this school by providing a place at home for our child to study, and to give our child encouragement in the completion of homework assignments.
5. We will faithfully support the school through our prayers and a positive attitude, and in keeping with Matthew 18:15, we are committed to giving a good report by sharing any complaints and negative comments only with people involved.  Unresolved issues will be taken care of using the school’s chain of command.
6. We understand that the standards of HGBCS do not tolerate profanity, obscenity in word or action, dishonor to the Trinity and the Word of God, disrespect to the personnel of the school, or continued disobedience to the established policies of the school.
7. We believe that discipline is necessary for the benefit of each student as well as for the entire school.  We give permission to the teachers and administration to make and enforce school regulations in a manner consistent with Christian principles and discipline set forth in the Scriptures.  We further agree that we will cooperate and discipline our child in the home as needed.
8. We pledge that if, for any reason, our child does not respond favorably to the school, we will do everything in our power to cooperate with the school to help our child make the necessary adjustments.  If these adjustments cannot be made, then we agree to quietly withdraw our child.
9. We understand that assessments will be made to cover damages to the school, including breakage of windows, book damage, and the abuse of other personal property.  All hardback and reading books are the property of the HGBCS and must be returned at the end of the school year.
10. We will support the school by involvement in the Parent Council, Open Houses, Parent-Teacher Conferences, workdays and other school sponsored meetings and activities.
11. We give our permission for our child to take part in all school activities, including sports and school sponsored trips away from the school grounds.