LUTHER BURBANK

MIDDLE SCHOOL

3700 W. Jeffries Avenue Burbank, CA 91505

(818) 558 – 4646

(818) 842 – 3727 Fax

                       

                       

STUDENT HANDBOOK

2006 – 2007

 

 

Mrs. Anita Schackmann

Principal

 

         Mrs. Jennifer Meglemre                  Mr. Brian O’Rourke

            Assistant Principal                 Assistant Principal

 

 

 

           

This agenda belongs to:

 

Name __________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________

         _________________________________________________

Phone __________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal’s Message

Welcome to Luther Burbank Middle School; we are glad you are here! Please use this student planner to help you become a successful student. We expect you to write down all of your assignments every day.

Please read the written information in the planner and look at the charts provided. This overview of the school will help you become familiar with the standards at Luther and address some of your concerns. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask teachers, counselors, administrators, and office staff. You will find that Luther is a wonderful school full of people who want to help you do well. Have a great year!

                                                                                                                                           Mrs. Anita Schackmann, Principal

 

Arrival at School

To ensure safety students are not to arrive before 7:40. There is not adequate supervision available for students before this time. School begins at 8:00 AM.

 

Absences and Attendance

Students are expected to attend school every day. An absence may only be excused if a student is ill, had an appointment with a doctor or dentist, was required to go to court, or attended a funeral. Students returning from an absence must report before school to the Attendance Office with a note from a parent or guardian explaining the reason for the absence, or the parent/guardian can call the attendance office the day the student is absent. When calling in an absence, please give the student’s name, grade level, and the reason for absence. If you send a note, it must include the student’s name, the date(s) and reason for the absence. Please call 558-4646 to report an absence by phone.

 

Absent Make-Up Work

Students may make up work missed during an absence. In the case of excused absences, students have as many days as they were excused absent to make up the work. In the case of unexcused absences, the amount of time to make up work is at the teacher’s discretion. It is the student’s responsibility to ask the teacher for make-up work. In the event of prolonged absence (three or more days), homework assignments may be obtained by calling the counseling office before 8:30 AM and picking up the work after 3:00 PM. Requests received after 8:30 will take an additional day. Completed assignments must be returned before additional homework is requested. Please call 558-4650 to request homework for absences.

 

Appointments and Off Schedules

Students needing to leave campus early for a doctor or dentist appointment must come to the office before school to obtain an “Off Schedule.” The student also must report to the office before leaving school. This permit must be signed by your parent and returned to the office when you return.

 

Bicycles, Skateboards, and Rollerblades or Scooters

Students may ride bicycles, skateboards, scooters, or rollerblades to school. For their own safety and the safety of others, however, students are not allowed to ride on campus. Students riding bikes must enter campus through the Jeffries Avenue gate and walk bikes on campus. The bike rack storage area will be locked at 8:00 A.M. and be opened again at 3:00 P.M. (except on Tuesdays when it will be opened at 2:15) Skateboards, rollerblades, and scooters must be kept in lockers.

 

Class Information

6th GRADE: Students will take English, Social Studies, Science, Math, Physical Education, and an elective or Linguistics.

7th GRADE: Students will take English, Math, Social Studies, and Science. In addition, they take Physical Education and an elective or Linguistics.

8th GRADE: Students will take English, Math, Social Studies and Science. In addition, they take Physical Education and an elective or Linguistics. Eighth grade students with good grades and citizenship may have an opportunity to assist a teacher or support staff for one semester as a Teacher’s Assistant for their elective.

 

 

Dressing Appropriately

Students will dress appropriately for all school activities. Clothing should be neat, clean, and fit/cover the student in an appropriate manner. Pants and shorts should be properly hemmed and fit/be worn at the natural waistline. Girls’ tops/blouses will cover any undergarment, the chest and midriff so that they remain covered even when stretching, bending, or raising hands in class. Items to avoid include but are not limited to: see through tops, low cut tops, crop tops, off the shoulder or spaghetti strap tops, short shorts, short skirts, and low-rise pants and jeans. Boys must wear pants that fit at the waist and completely cover underwear. Excessively oversized clothing is not allowed. Items to avoid include, but are not limited to: “sagging” pants or shorts which reveal underwear, pants with or without hems that drag on the ground, and belt buckles and T-shirts with inappropriate slogans, pictures, or words.

For safety reasons, shoes must be worn at all times with toes completely enclosed. All clothing and jewelry must be appropriate. The wearing of any article which promotes or symbolizes alcohol, drug, or tobacco use, illegal activity, profanity, gang identification or which is vulgar or offensive is not allowed.

Students who are not dressed appropriately will be sent to the office where they will be given appropriate clothing to wear for the day. Parents will be notified of dress code violations. Further violations will result in disciplinary action. If you have questions concerning a specific item of clothing, please contact the school office. A good rule to follow is: When in doubt—don’t wear it!

 

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are an important part of the positive student environment at Luther. These activities include school clubs, lunch activities, spirit weeks, special events, after school sports, concerts, and school dances. There is a lot to do at Luther!

 

Clubs

All student clubs established at Luther Burbank complete a Club Charter required by the Associated Student Body (ASB) Constitution. This charter states the goals, duties and activities maintained by the club and is signed by club officers, an administrator, and approved by the Student Government. All clubs are sponsored by school personnel and establish aims that have educational, school or community interests for students who choose to participate.

 

Activities and Competitions

The Associated Student Body (ASB) hosts many spirit

competitions and spirit weeks throughout the year. Rewards

are given to the entire class for outstanding participation in these

competitions. Show your Luther spirit—PARTICIPATE!

 

Health Office

The nurse’s office is located in the main office. A student who becomes ill or who needs first aid should ask his/her teacher for a hall pass to see the nurse. Students should not come to the office between periods or at lunch to see the nurse without a pass, except in cases of emergency. Students are reminded that all medications must be cleared by the nurse’s office, and be dispensed in the office. Students are to have no medications of any kind at school. P.E. excuses due to casts, crutches, wraps, etc., must be accompanied by a doctor’s note.

 

Lockers

All students will be issued a locker. Locks must be obtained from the school finance office. The lock will be used the entire time the student attends Luther. Only school issued locks may be used on hall lockers. Lockers will remain bolted in the beginning of the school year until a student has turned in all of the paperwork necessary for registration. Lockers are NOT to be shared—keep your combination to yourself. Students are responsible for the contents of their lockers. Lockers are subject to search by administrators and by drug and alcohol sniffing dogs at any time. Keep your locker clean—get in the habit of cleaning your locker before you go home for the weekend. Report any problems with your locker to Mrs. Ross or Mrs. Regan in the Main Office.

 

Physical Education (P.E.)

You may purchase your clothes in P.E. class during the first week of school. Please check with the P.E. office for current prices. Students have a reasonable time to dress and report for roll call. Every student must dress every day unless excused by the nurse. All articles should be marked clearly and permanently where name can be seen. Your teacher will tell you more about marking your clothes in your P. E. class. Your P.E. clothes should be taken home each week, washed and brought back—this is YOUR responsibility. Students also need to wear gym appropriate footwear for P.E. More details will be given in class.

 

Promotion of 8^th Graders

An 8^th grade promotion ceremony is held at the end of the school year in order to mark the passage of a student from middle school to high school. Students will be allowed to participate in the ceremony or any promotion activity if they:

·       Pass 10 classes the entire 8^th grade year (no more than 2 F’s on semester report cards)

·       Receive no more than 4 “U” marks in Citizenship on a semester report card during the entire 8^th grade year, and no more than 2 “U” marks in Citizenship on the second semester report card

·       Have not been suspended from school more than two times the entire eighth grade year, and no more than ONCE during second semester

·     Have no outstanding debt

 

Recognition

There are many ways students are recognized at Luther:

·       Student of the Month --Students and their parents are invited to a breakfast celebration in the Luther Library.

·       Honor Roll--Students who achieve a 3.0 GPA or higher each semester receive a certificate of recognition. First-time Honor Roll students receive a bumper sticker.

·       Attendance Awards-- Students receive free donuts for perfect attendance each 15-week period.

·       Caught “Beeing” Excellent Slip: --Given for good deeds. Students are entered in a prize drawing once a month.

·       American Legion Award -- Given to one 8^th grade boy and girl in recognition of outstanding courage, leadership, scholarship, and integrity.

·       Luther Burbank Award of Excellence--Given to one 8^th grade boy and girl in recognition of outstanding scholastic achievement and citizenship.

·       Faculty Memorial Award-- (Academic Award) Given to the top 1% in the eighth grade

·       Women’s Club of Burbank Citizenship Awards -- Given to students who file an application and meet the requirements outlined by the Women’s Club of Burbank.

·              On A Roll--Recognition given to students who improve their grades/behavior, demonstrate good citizenship, or who go above and beyond to help LBMS be a better place.

 

 

School Supplies

You will need the following supplies with you each day in class:

·       Notebook (3-ring binder)                       

·       Dividers (one for each period)

·       Ball point pens

·       Pencils

·       Eraser                                           

·       Ruler                                                    

·       Plastic pouch for supplies

·       Lined paper

·       Colored Pencils

·       Book covers

·       Graph paper (usually required by math teachers)

·       Other supplies as required for specific classes

 

 

 

Scholarship

The following organizations at Luther recognize outstanding academic achievement:

 

California Junior Scholarship Federation (CJSF) (7th & 8^th grade only)

           In order to be eligible for our highest scholarship organization you must meet the

following requirements:

1.            Satisfactory citizenship - No U's

2.            No D's or F's

3.            Points earned must be twice the number of subjects in which you are enrolled that meet requirements: (A = 3, B = 1, C = 0) i.e., 10 points for 5 classes, 8 points for 4 classes.

4.            Minimum of 4 academic classes will be counted.

5.     Physical Education, Teacher Assistant, etc., are not counted when totaling class points.

To participate in CJSF you must pay your dues ($2.00 per semester), attend all meetings, and complete the service obligation. Participation in other scholarship activities (such as tutoring) as determined by the CJSF officers and advisor may also be required. If you fail to complete the above requirements you may be dropped from CJSF.

 

 

6^th Grade Honor Club

In order to be eligible for this club you must meet the following requirements:

1.            Satisfactory Citizenship - No U's

2.            No F's

3.            "B" average counting all classes (G.P.A. = 3.0)

4.            Payment of $1.00 dues for 1st Quarter

5.            Attend scheduled 6^th Grade Honor Club meetings

 

 

Tardies

A student is tardy when he/she is not in the classroom or assigned instructional area when the bell rings. Students in classrooms should be seated before the bell rings. Students in P.E.

should be in the locker room before the bell rings. Students are not to be in the

halls without a pass after class begins. Students arriving late to school must

bring a note from a parent/guardian to the attendance office to check-in.

Tardies accumulate over each semester. Six tardies to any one class will

result in a “U” in Citizenship for the semester. Excessive tardiness may

result in other consequences such as lunch detention or Saturday School.

Be on time to class!

 

 

You and Your Counselor

There are three counselors at Luther. The counselors can help you with school success, study skills, time management, getting along with friends and teachers, and other emotional or social problems you may face. The Counseling Office is located right outside the main office. You may stop in before school, during nutrition, and after school to make an appointment. You will need a pass to come to the office. When a counselor is available, you will be called up to the office. The counseling office phone number is 558-4650. The counselors are available to help parents, too!

 

Zero Tolerance

The Board of Education for the Burbank Unified School District has adopted a “Zero Tolerance” policy for drugs and/or weapons on school grounds. Students who bring drugs or weapons on campus will be suspended while awaiting an Expulsion Hearing. Other grounds for suspension or expulsion (Education Code Section 48900) include, but are not limited to, fighting, threats of violence, intentional injury, possession of tobacco or related products, possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia, harassment or threats, willful defiance of school personnel or disruption of school activities, sexual harassment (Ed. Code Sec. 48900.2), and hate violence (Ed. Code Sec. 48900.3).

 

 

 

 

Burbank Unified School District Middle School Plagiarism and Cheating Policy

Students and parents need to be aware of the importance of academic honesty. Academic honesty means not cheating, not plagiarizing, and using information ethically.

 

Plagiarism includes:

·              Submitting someone else’s work as your own including that of tutors, friends, parents or siblings, or paraphrasing without giving credit to the source.

·              Turning in purchased papers from the Internet written by someone else.

·              Helping others plagiarize by giving them your work, including homework and worksheets, even if you don’t think it will be copied.

·              Using someone else’s idea without giving credit to the original source.

 

Note: You can use other people’s ideas and even paraphrase or quote their words, but you MUST give them credit. Use phrases such as “According to…,” and “In the book…” and cite ALL of the sources you got information from in the Works Cited page.

 

Cheating includes:

·              Copying assignments that are turned in as original work.

·              Trading assignments with other students, even if you don’t think they will be copied.

·              Using unauthorized notes or technology, such as bringing notes into a test or using a computer program to translate an assignment and turning it in as your own.

·              Sharing answers before, during, or after quizzes or tests. Students must be responsible for their own papers and make sure others cannot copy their work.

·              Using summaries or commentaries (Cliffs Notes, watching the movie, etc.) instead of reading the assigned material.

 

 

Avoiding Plagiarism and Cheating

1. Plan ahead. Rushing to get your work done the night before a big project is due may make it more tempting to cheat or plagiarize.

2. Be sure you understand your assignments. Don’t rely on your friends for information about what is required. You can stop by your teacher’s classroom at nutrition, during lunch, before or after school if you have questions.

3. Don’t read someone else’s paper or homework before you do your own homework. If you get any ideas from them, you would have to cite that person as a source.

4. Make sure to ALWAYS cite your sources. This means saying where you got the information you are using. Look for the example of a Works Cited (Bibliography) in the colored reference pages of this handbook.

5. Keep a list of sources you use (including author, title, publisher, and copyright date) as you use them and make sure you note which information you got from which source.

6. When in doubt about what you need to do to avoid cheating or plagiarism, just ask your classroom teacher or the library media teacher.

 

 

Burbank Unified School District Middle School Academic Honesty

The Burbank Unified School District has defined academic dishonesty as: turning in someone else’s work as your own, allowing another student to copy your work, using any materials from the Internet without proper citation, or changing teachers’ records or grades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Honesty: Progressive Discipline

 

1^st Infraction:

·       Student will receive a zero on the assignment.

·       Teacher will contact parent/guardian by phone or parent conference.

·              Teacher will send notice to an administrator for recording and filing.

 

 

2nd Infraction:

·       Student will receive a zero on the assignment.

·       Student may receive an “Unsatisfactory” mark in Citizenship and/or Work Habits for the grading period.

·       Teacher will contact parent/guardian by phone or parent conference.

·              Referral will be sent to an administrator and student may be assigned detention or Saturday School.

 

3rd Infraction (in the same or any other class):

·       Student will receive a zero on the assignment.

·       Student may receive an “Unsatisfactory” mark in Citizenship and/or Work Habits for the grading period.

·       Teacher will contact parent/guardian by phone or parent conference.

·              Referral will be sent to an administrator and student may be assigned detention or Saturday School.

·              Administrator will contact parent/guardian by phone or parent conference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School Behavior Expectations

 

In general:

§       Students will RESPECTFULLY follow the instructions of ANY adult on campus.

§       Students will show respect through appropriate language at all times. Use of profanity or obscene or threatening language is not allowed.

§       Students will keep their hands, feet, and property to themselves. Horseplay and other unsafe behavior are not acceptable—even if students are “just playing around”.

§       Students will follow the dress code and dress appropriately for classes and all school sponsored activities.          

Bicycles, Skateboards, Rollerblades, and Scooters:

§       Students may ride bicycles, skateboards, Rollerblades, and scooters to school. For safety reasons, these items may NOT be ridden on campus ANYWHERE.

§       Bikes must be walked onto campus and enter through the gate near the bike rack on Jeffries Avenue. The bike rack will be locked during the school day to protect your property. Bicycles and helmets should be locked to the racks.

§       Skateboards, scooters, and Rollerblades must be kept in student lockers during the day.

In class:

§       Students will be on time and prepared to learn.

§       Materials and books will be brought to class every day.

§       Teachers will provide lists of specific classroom rules in their class guidelines.

§       Students will follow the class guidelines to ensure that everyone has a clean, quiet, and positive place in which to learn.

§       Students will follow BUSD guidelines for academic honesty.

In the hallways:

§       Students will stay to the RIGHT when WALKING in the hallways.

§       Students will refrain from gathering in large groups which block hallways.

§       Students will use quiet voices in the hallways, and will avoid shouting.

At break time:

§       Students will eat and drink only in the cafeteria or lunch shelter areas or seated on the

400 lawn, never in the hallways or on the field.

§       Students will clean up after themselves—wrappers and trash should be placed in one of the MANY trashcans available on campus. Keep Luther clean!

Cell Phones:

§       Cell phones will remain OFF at ALL times while on campus.

§       After school, students must exit campus in order to use a cell phone.

§       Phones on/used while on campus will be confiscated and returned after a one-hour detention is completed.