Warren Academy
Student Handbook
2020 – 2021
Teaching Respect And Responsibility
One Team, One Goal, High Levels of Learning for All!

Respect Creed

Respect is the cornerstone of all our interactions and behaviors. We acknowledge the dignity and worth of one another and strive never to diminish another by our conduct or our attitudes.

WARREN ACADEMY DRESS CODE
The following is the expected dress code for Warren Academy. Students must comply with this dress code until they are off the school campus (come in and leave in dress code). Students who do not comply will be subject to disciplinary action.

DRESSING AND GROOMING

PANTS
Must be khaki in color, all pants should have belt loops
Must fit properly
Must be full length, no cuffs or rolled
Must be hemmed
Must be worn at the waist
Must be clean
Must not touch the floor and must be worn outside all footwear. No tucking pants inside footwear.
Must not have any pockets or zippers on the leg area (such as cargo pants)
Must not have any holes or frayed edges or slits in the seams
Must not be wide-legged or skin tight, such as leggings, jeggings, skinny jeans or joggers.
Must have a belt
No shorts, pants, or leggings may be worn under the khaki pants

SHIRTS
Must be solid navy blue in color-no writing or pictures on front or back, a plain crew neck shirt, no scoop or v-neck
Must be a plain t-shirt with no pockets, collars, or buttons-short or long sleeve
Must be tucked into pants-unless a banded sweatshirt
Must be clean
Must fit appropriately-not too tight, no skin showing, nor too large and sloppy
Must have no tears or cuts or any changes made to the t-shirt
Must not have thumb holes
Solid navy sweatshirts may be worn and must be the proper size
Long sleeved navy or white may be worn under the t-shirts, no pockets on shirt or undershirt
If an undershirt is worn under a long sleeved shirt, it must be white or navy with no pockets
Undergarments should not be visible

JACKETS AND COATS
Must be removed and hung up after entering school
Cold weather/seasonal accessories will be searched and removed when coat is removed

SHOES AND BOOTS
Must be comfortable enough to be able to do physical activities
No steel –toed boots. If boots are worn, pants legs must not be tucked into the boots
No flip flops or sandals or slippers
All shoes must remain tied or fastened at all times so that shoes do not flop while walking No muddy shoes or boots

HAIR
Should be natural color tones; no purple, orange, etc.
Must be clean and combed
Must be above the eyebrows, ears and above the shirt band, not just combed out of the way
Must be pulled back in a ponytail if hair is long with a full headband, hair must be secure
Should not be cut in a “faddish” design while enrolled at Warren Academy. Students who do this will be told to redo their hair and will be placed in IPS until it meets our requirements.

EYEBROWS  
Must not be altered by shaving or making designs within

FACE
Faces must be clean shaven with no beard or mustache.

TATTOOS
Tattoos students have before entering WA do not have to be covered unless considered to be offensive.
Students who get a tattoo after entering WA will be out of dress code and will be asked to cover up their tattoo. Other consequences may follow.  No hickeys, if necessary they will be covered with large bandage
 
GROOMING
It is expected that all students will have clean bodies, hair and clothes when they come into school every morning. If necessary, there are personal hygiene items available to use at school. A parent note will be sent home if there are any grooming problems. IPS may also be used until the situation is corrected.
Make-up must be appropriate
No nail polish is allowed
No artificial nails or tips

HEADWEAR
No caps allowed. The student will get the cap back the first time it is worn. The next time it will be kept until they are no longer enrolled at Warren Academy. Toboggans may be worn to school in the winter, and hung up with other outerwear.  

MISCELLANEOUS
Nothing is to be brought to school other than a daily behavior sheet. This will be considered contraband.    
Cell phones are not allowed
No jewelry allowed. When found, all piercing type jewelry such as nose rings, tongue rings, earrings, eyebrow rings, etc. will be returned 1st offense, next offense will be kept until the student is no longer enrolled at Warren
 No technology devices including smart watches and fitbits allowed, no wristwatches allowed
No purses, wallets or backpacks are allowed
Paper and pencils may be brought to school on the first day. After this they may be brought into school after the student has obtained permission from their classroom teacher.
 No ink pens or mechanical pencils are allowed
No keys with the exception of a single house key which must be turned in to the student’s teacher upon arrival at Warren Academy in the mornings.
Students do not need to bring money to school except for level appropriate drinks
No perfume, aftershave or cologne is allowed
Students are not to wear or carry any item or accessory that denotes membership or affiliation with any gang or exclusive discriminatory group
No chewing gum is allowed
 

ATTENDANCE POLICY
A copy of The Warren County School Board attendance policy is available for you in our school office if you would like one. Because Warren Academy is an alternative school setting, we have some specific rules we want to stress:
Each student is expected to be at school every day. Absenteeism is limited to sickness and emergencies.
If a student is absent, the student or a parent should call the school by 8:30a.m - 473-8723 OR 473-9523. Warren Academy teaches responsibility. Therefore, even if a student has an accepted note but has not called the school to report their absence, they WILL serve time in Intensive Problem Solving (IPS).
Excused absences require a professional signature. For example: doctor, court officer, or funeral director.
To avoid school consequences for being absent, a note must be brought in the day after the absence.
All unexcused absences must be made up by serving one day in IPS. All class work has to be made up.
The principal shall determine other excused absences. Only 5 parent notes accepted per school year.
In order for the student’s absence to not accumulate toward truancy, the school secretary must receive the professional’s note within three (3) days of the absence.
If a student is in court for his/her case, the absence will be excused in our computer for truancy reasons. A note should be brought from court unless we check the court docket before the student appears. However, the student must serve time in IPS for their time away from school.
When a student misses school time for a court appearance or a professional appointment, the student is expected to return to school in a prompt and timely fashion. Students should come to school before the doctor’s appointment or immediately after, if it is medically possible. Do not use a short appointment as an excuse to miss an entire day of school.
When students are absent from school it prevents their progress within our program. Habitual absences from school will, more than likely, increase a student’s stay in our program. This shows the staff poor habits and irresponsibility and manipulation.
Typically, the staff will call a physician’s office to report a student’s habitual absences when the student has numerous notes from that doctor’s office. Parents please do not be guilty of conspiring with your child to miss school. This is not the message that needs to be sent to our students. It must take both the parent and the educators to help change the patterns of poor attendance of some of our students. 
Illness of Immediate Family Member
A doctor’s statement may be required after three (3) days.
Death
a.    In the family-one day will be excused. Additional days will be excused at the discretion of the principal.
b.    Of others-The principal may approve as an excused absence with appropriate documentation.

Dental, Medical and Counseling Appointments
We strongly urge that these appointments be scheduled after school. However, if these appointments are during school hours, a doctor’s or counselor’s verification will be required and reasonable travel time to and from the office will be allowed. Full days for dental and medical appointments will rarely be excused.

Extreme weather conditions

Religious Observances
Any student who misses a class or day of school because of the observance of a day set aside as sacred by a recognized religious denomination of which the student is a member or adherent, where such religion calls for a special observance of such day, shall have the absence from that school day or class excused and shall be entitled to make up any school work missed without the imposition of any penalty because of the absence.

Required Court Appearance
Written verification of the student’s required appearance and the time involved must be submitted upon the student’s returning to school. These excuses must be obtained in the clerk’s office of that particular court.

Extenuating Circumstances
A student’s absence due to circumstances, which, in the judgment of the principal constitute good and sufficient cause of absence from school, may be excused with proper documentation.

Unexcused Absences K-12
An unexcused absence from any class during the school day for which the student is scheduled constitutes truancy. Any absence without written documentation is automatically unexcused. If an absence is unexcused, the work missed may be made up within five (5) days of returning to school from said absence. Teachers are not required to furnish make-up work for students when their absence is unexcused.

POLICY ON TARDIES
As a rule, tardies are not excused. The consequences for being tardy to school are the following:
The first tardy is excused
The second and subsequent tardies, the student will go to IPS
 
WARREN ACADEMY LEVEL SYSTEM
The level system is one of the tools used at Warren Academy which helps provide motivation for a student to make life changes by a system of rewards and consequences. This level system has specific guidelines with each level outlining improved social and emotional health.
Each Thursday afternoon, Warren Academy’s staff reviews written level change requests made by individual students. We thoroughly discuss the merits of a student’s request and his/her behavior during the previous week.

ENTRY LEVEL 4—ACCEPTANCE AND RESPECT
On this level, a student should begin accepting personal responsibility for his/her actions, and start taking the first steps in treating others (especially those in positions of authority) with respect. We begin with holding students accountable for demonstrated respect as a first step (e.g. “yes/no sir or ma’am”). Specifically:
1.    Learn school/program rules, expectations and the school’s Respect Creed.
2.    State reason (problems) for admission/placement at Warren Academy. This should be done orally and written.
3.    Participate in daily goal-setting and evaluation meetings.
4.    Be respectful by responding to the staff with “sir and “ma’am”.
5.    Complete a project (subject decided upon by the class group and approved by staff)
which is relevant to the student’s reason for being a WA.
Once these behavioral expectations have been achieved, he/she should be considered for a promotion to the next level.

LEVEL 3 ---SELF-CONTROL AND RESPONSIBILITY
On this level a student should have begun to take an honest look at themselves and be goal-oriented. Now he/she is focusing on more consistently maintaining personal responsibilities and demonstrating self-control in stressful situations. Often this is the most difficult level from which to advance. Specifically:
1.    Continue meeting the guidelines of Level 4.
2.    Demonstrate positive participation in ALL WA activities. This includes school attendance.
3.    Complete classroom assignments adequately and in a timely manner on a consistent basis.
4.    Accept correction with a respectful, positive attitude and without argument or backtalk.
5.    Demonstrate self-control in stressful and challenging situations (this may include taking time-outs appropriately).
6.    Return daily feedback sheets signed by a parent or guardian on a consistent basis.
 
LEVEL 2- PROBLEM SOLVING
On this level, a student should show a positive outlook while meeting daily responsibilities and demonstrating self-control in stressful situations. Furthermore, he/she should now not only exercise self-control, but take an active role in solving personal, as well as classroom, problem solving. Specifically:
1.    Continue meeting the guidelines of Level 3.
2.    Avoid negative peer influences and situations while directly/appropriately confronting problem situations.
3.    Consistently show respect to self, other students and adults in all situations.
4.    While maintaining self-control, take an active role in solving personal and group problems-sharing ideas, plans and giving encouragement to others.
5.    Accept corrections with a positive attitude and without argument or backtalk, while accepting responsibility for their actions.
6.    Show positive participation in all school activities, especially group meetings.

LEVEL 1- LEADERSHIP1.    Continue meeting the guidelines for Level 2
2.    Be respectful to all persons in all situations
3.    Lead group meetings and/or take an active role in group planning and problem solving.
4.    Offer to help others through stressful situations.
5.    Accept responsibility for actions without excuse, blaming others, etc. Accept unpleasant situations with maturity and a positive attitude.
6.    Set goals for re-entry to home school environment (if this applies to student).

SCHOOL CONSEQUENCES
AUTOMATIC DROP IN LEVEL
An automatic drop in level will result if a student commits the following actions:
1.    Leaving the campus after arrival to school results in a drop to Level 3 (Self-Control/Responsibility)
2.    Smoking on campus, including possession of cigarettes and/or lighter results in a drop to Level 3. Smoking on campus includes smoking in a vehicle.
3.    Physical aggression or verbal threat to a staff member or another student results in a drop to level 3.
4.    A bus suspension.

OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSION
In most situations, out of school suspensions are not the most effective discipline method. However, OSS could be used for the following reasons:
1.    Leaving the school campus.
2.    Physical aggression toward a staff member or student.
3.    Damage or destruction of school property (a student must also repair and/or pay for damages and could be prosecuted).
4.    Out of control behavior.
5.    Possession of a weapon or any other illegal material.
6.    Any other violations at the Principal’s discretion.
7.    These violations and any others that require charges to be brought will be at the discretion of the Principal as advised by the SRO.

OTHER DISCIPLINE ISSUES

********************PLEASE READ CAREFULLY***************************

1.Smoking on campus is against the law. In addition to a drop in level, the offender will go to IPS and charges could be filed. This also applies to smoking in a car.
2.Once you get on a bus in the afternoon, do not come back into school to get something you left. Consequences will occur.
3.Contraband consequences range from warnings, IPS, confiscation and disposal, level drop or charges.
4.Cell phones are NOT to be brought to school. A cell phone may be given back to a parent the first time it is brought in. The next time it is brought into school, it will be kept until student leaves Warren Academy and returns to his/her home school OR the end of the school year.

DISCIPLINE

Most student discipline is handled within the school by discussions with the students, with the parents and/or problem solving meetings. Rarely is out of school suspension used. When all other behavior interventions have been exhausted, the court system could be involved. At the end of the day, all discipline sheets will be turned in to the Principal who will then determine the punishment.

IPS (Intensive Problem Solving Area)
Our In School Suspension
A student is sent to IPS for the following reasons:
*The student has an unexcused absence or accumulated tardies
*A student cannot solve a problem he or she is having by a problem solving meeting or another solution within the classroom

The rules of IPS are simple:
Sit down.
Stay in your seat.
Do not speak until asked to do so by the staff.
Do your work without making noise.
Keep your hands and feet still and to yourself
Do not talk to another student.
If you have a question about academic work, raise your hand and wait to be recognized
Before returning to the classroom, a student must have completed all academics and behavioral assignments. A student will spend varying amounts of time in IPS. This depends upon his or her acceptance of the placement, the amount of time needed to complete class work, and completing a written assignment covering the rule that has been broken, and actions the student will take to keep this from happening in the future.
There will be two bathroom breaks per day