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MIDDLE SCHOOL HANDBOOK PART 5 - POLCIES AND SCHOOL RULES

227 N. Fourth Street
 Geneva, IL 60134
 Phone: 630-463-3000
Attendance 
Regular school attendance promotes academic success. It is the policy of the Board of Education both to enforce the compulsory education requirements of the State of Illinois and to encourage regularity of attendance to ensure the maximum educational benefit for students. Students are expected to be in school daily except in case of illness or family emergency. The State of Illinois requires that a child be in classes, not including lunch or passing periods, for 5 clock hours (300 minutes) to be counted as in attendance for a full day. This means that a student can miss only 52 minutes (a little over one regular class period) and still be counted as present for a full day. 
 
If your child will not be in school, please call the main office attendance line before 8:30 a.m. each day your child is absent and state the reason for the absence.  For your convenience, we have installed a voice mail system to record absences. If we are not contacted by 9:30 a.m., a parent will be called to verify a student’s absence. 
 
If you should need to take your student out of class during the school day, please send a note stating the reason for the early dismissal, date, time, and your signature. Your student should bring the note to the main office first thing in the morning. They will then be issued a pass reflecting the dismissal time requested. Students must sign out of school when leaving and sign in when returning. 
 
To participate in after school extracurricular activities, students must be in school at least half a day on the day of the activity. 
 
We discourage removing students from school for vacations. Please be aware that your child will miss instruction and may not be able to make up audio-visual presentations or some daily work, particularly work involving laboratory set- ups.  Please also be advised that missing school due to vacation may affect your child’s academic progress and grades. If you are going to be out of town, please contact your child’s teachers directly. Teachers will have the option to assign work in advance or after the student returns from their absence.  Whether the work is assigned in advance, or after the absence, students will have the same number of days to complete any missed work as the number of days absent. 
 
Tardies 
Students are considered tardy to school if they are not in their first hour class at 8:35 a.m. Tardiness is excused due to illness and doctor appointments. When a student has four or more unexcused tardies to school in a single trimester, may result in a detention. Teachers will maintain records of tardies for their individual classes and apply consequences.
 
Truancy 
Repeated truancies or excessive absenteeism may result in a referral to an appropriate agency. Ref: Illinois School Code Article 5/26-1, 5/26-2, 5/26-2a 
 
Lockers 
Lockers are the property of the school and are provided to students as a convenience. Students are assigned hall lockers at the beginning of the school year. The physical education teachers assign gym lockers. Hall and gym lockers are equipped with built in combination locks. Pad locks are not permitted. Please instruct your child not to share locker combinations with anyone. A $5.00 fee may be assessed to change a locker combination. If you forget your hall locker combination, please come to the main office for help. 
 
Students should not bring large amounts of money or valuables to school.  If, for some reason, they must do so, the office staff will be happy to place the article in safekeeping for the day.  

To maintain order and security in the school, school authorities are authorized to conduct reasonable searches of school property and equipment, students and their personal effects.  “School authorities” includes, but is not limited to, principal, assistant principals, and school liaison police officers.  For complete policy see Board Policy 7:140. 
 
Physical Education Exemption 
Upon written notice from a student’s parent/guardian, a student will be excused from engaging in the physical activity components of physical education during a period of religious fasting.   
 
For other exemptions please see Board Policy 7:260.
 
Physical Education Uniform 
Students are required to dress daily in a PE uniform. The uniform may consist of a gray “Fit for Life” shirt, blue “Geneva” shorts (sold through the PTO), socks and athletic shoes.  Students should wear sweat suits during cold weather.  All uniforms and sweats must have the student’s last name printed visibly on the outside. 
Student Records 
Student records are broken into two parts: the permanent record, the record maintained for at least 60 years after the student’s class graduates; and the temporary record maintained for five years after the student’s class graduates. These two parts of the record contain different types of information. The permanent record contains information necessary for the student for the rest of their life.  The temporary record contains the most important information to have during the student's school years. 

Permanent records include the following: 
1.  Basic identifying information, including student’s name and address, birth date and place, gender, and the names and addresses of the student’s parents 
2.   Evidence required pursuant to the Missing Children’s Records Act 
3.   Academic transcript 
4.   Attendance record 
5.   Health record 
6.   A record of release of permanent record information 
7.   Scores received on all State assessment tests administered at high-school level 
8.   Scores received on college entrance exams 
9.   AP Computer Science course designated as math 
10. Student’s achievement of the State Seal of Biliteracy and State Commendation Toward Biliteracy 
11. Student’s achievement of the Global Scholar Certification. 
 
Temporary records include the following: 
1.    A record of release of temporary record information 
2.    Scores received on the State assessment tests administered in elementary grade levels 
3.    Completed home language survey form 
4.   Information regarding serious disciplinary infractions that resulted in expulsion, suspension, or imposition of punishment or sanction
5.    Information provided under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act 
6.    Any biometric information 
7.    Health-related information 
8.    Accident Reports 
9.    Family background information 
10.  Intelligence test scores 
11.  Aptitude test scores 
12.  Reports of psychological evaluations 
13.  Elementary and Secondary achievement level test results 
14. Participation in extracurricular activities, including any offices held in school-sponsored clubs or organizations (may alternatively be included in permanent record)
15.  Honors and awards received (may alternatively be included in permanent record) 
16.  Teacher anecdotal records 
17.  Other disciplinary information 
18.  Special education and Section 504 Plan records 
19. Any verified reports or information from non- educational persons, agencies, or organizations of clear relevance to the education of the student
20.  E-mail and correspondence records which contain student’s personally identifiable information 
21.  Residency and enrollment documents 
22.  Class schedules 
23.  Summer school/ESY records 
24.  Transportation records 
25.  Signed Student/Parent Handbook or other Policy Acknowledgement forms 
26. Authorizations, waivers, and/or request forms (i.e., for field trips, free and reduced lunch, medication administration, etc.) 
27.  Investigation determination letters 
28.  Truancy documents 
29.  Order of Protection; and 
30.  Report cards and progress reports 
The right to inspect and copy student education records (both permanent and temporary) is allowed to parent/s or guardians of students under the age of 18. 
 
The middle school counselor and principal will review the permanent and temporary records before information is sent to the high school. Near the close of the 8th grade year, during this review, information not being forwarded to the high school will be destroyed. Parents and students may request copies of these records before May 1. 
 
All school records will be maintained under the student's legal name.  A name may be changed on school records only by a court order presented to the school. 
 
In the case of a student whose parents are divorced, unless there is a court order to the contrary, either parent may submit a written request to have copies of records sent, by mail, to the non-custodial parent. 
 
Directory Information & Photographs of Students 
Geneva School District has designated certain student record information as “directory information.” In compliance with state law, directory information may be released to the general public without prior written consent unless you as parent/guardian request that any or all such information on your child not be released. 
 
The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the School District to include this type of information in school publications, including yearbooks, playbills, school newspapers, sports programs, honor rolls, graduation programs, District publications, newsletters, web sites, and district-approved social media. The following information has been designated as "Directory information": name; local student identifier (Student ID); email address; address; telephone number; date and place of birth; photograph/video; major field of study; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; height and weight (if a member of an athletic team); dates of attendance; grade level, date of graduation; awards received; honor rolls; and scholarships. 

The State of Illinois requires that student teachers submit video clips of their teaching and samples of student work for assessment by professional evaluators. In fulfilling this requirement, your child may be filmed. The materials gathered are submitted securely to electronic platforms maintained by Pearson, where only scorers may securely access them. No student’s name will appear on any materials that are submitted, and materials will be kept confidential at all times. 
 
For more information about directory information and its uses, refer to Board of Education Policy 7:340 Student Records. 
If you do not want the School District to disclose directory information concerning your child, in its entirety or in part, please so 
indicate in a letter to your school’s principal. Upon receipt, school personnel will make every reasonable effort to comply with the request. 
 
Throughout the year, mailing lists may be supplied to the district’s educational support groups such as the PTO, Art Boosters, Geneva Academic Foundation, Music Boosters, and Sports Boosters. If you would like your information withheld from that list, please contact the Geneva Middle School Main Office. 
 
If a child is photographed and releases his or her own name to a non-school photographer, the district will not be responsible for the subsequent publication of the student’s name.