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Oakwood School

Middle School Student Expectations

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Oakwood students have the right...

  • to be a member of a vibrant school community where they are treated with respect.
  • to receive competent instruction that addresses their individual learning needs.
  • to be in a classroom environment that is conducive to learning.
  • to express themselves creatively and voice their opinions in a socially acceptable manner.
  • to feel secure and safe from physical harm, as well as verbal, physical and sexual harassment while on school property and at all school-sponsored functions off school property.
  • to enjoy clean, well-maintained school facilities
  • to fully understand the school's expectations regarding discipline, academics, and the dress code, as well as to be aware of the consequences for violating these rules and expectations.
  • to be treated respectfully without regard to gender, sexual orientation or identity, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.

 

Therefore, Oakwood students have the responsibility to...

Academic Effort
  • Work to their potential.
  • Bring all needed materials to class, including a charged laptop; be able to locate those materials.
  • Actively participate (allowing for different modes of participation).  Take notes, when appropriate or when directed to, limiting open tabs and apps on the computer to those necessary to taking notes.
  • Meet all deadlines for projects, homework, studying for tests, etc. and check Veracross each night.
Academic Honesty
  • Be familiar with definitions of cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty.
  • Refrain from engaging in any act of academic dishonesty, including copying homework.
  • Realize that a student who allows work to be copied is also guilty of academic dishonesty.
  • Properly cite all information obtained through research on the Internet.
  • Ask a teacher whether something qualifies as academic dishonesty if unclear.
After-School Conduct

Carpool

  • Be responsible for safely finding carpool rides by proceeding to carpool area after school.
  • Stay in designated areas after school while waiting for rides (locker area, office walkway, sidewalk by parking lot).

  • Follow the direction of school staff on duty at carpool.

  • Report to the Library after school by 3:45 pm if still on campus and not attending a school event.

  • Leave campus on foot to obtain transportation (bus, etc.) only with a signed parental permission note on file in the office.

Attending after-school sports

  • Be active observers of the game or other activity and stay in designated field/gym area.

Assemblies
  • Follow teacher's instructions at all times.     
  • Show respect and courtesy while waiting for the assembly to begin and to those that are presenting, remembering that cell phones must remain in backpacks, not pockets. 
  • Listen to and follow instructions after the assembly.  Stack chairs when indicated.
Attendance
  • Attend school on all official school days. 
  • Make-up any work and/or tests missed due to absence in a timely manner, according to the individual classroom teacher's policies.
  • Schedule appointments (doctor, etc.) outside of school hours, whenever possible.
  • Understand that when absent on a school day, a student may not attend after-school or evening activities.
  • Let teachers know if you have a pre-planned absence for advance notice of any discretionary absences, at least a week in advance, when possible.
  • Obtain an excused/unexcused pass from the Main Office when arriving late to school or to a class during the day.
Backpacks
  • Store backpacks in the back of the classrooms or where advised by the teacher.
  • Laptops should be stored INSIDE backpacks or lockers whenever not being used in the classroom.
  • Backpacks left outside against the buildings should not obstruct the walkway.
  • All backpacks must be removed from the classroom area by dismissal.
Brunch/Break Conduct
  • Visit lockers, restrooms, vending machines, quad area and blacktop. 
  • Computers and phones may not be used during brunch or breaks outside of a classroom without a teacher’s permission.
  • Eat their snacks as they visit their lockers and in the quad area.
  • Dispose of all trash completely.
Campus Safety
  • Stay within the campus boundaries. 
  • Follow the instructions of teachers and/or other school officials during school hours.
Citizenship
  • Actively participate as a member of the Oakwood School community. 
  • Respect the rights of other members of the Oakwood School community.
  • Realize that online conduct should reflect Oakwood appropriate behavior and that all students will be held accountable for their online behavior. 
Classroom Conduct
  • Respect classroom rules and the role of the teacher. Respect the opinions of others.
  • When using laptops, use them only for classroom work, and have open only the tabs or apps that are needed for that work.
  • Seek assistance if needed and ask questions if confused.
  • Work cooperatively in groups; share the workload equally.
  • Arrive to class on time and prepared, including having done the previous night's homework. This includes being seated in 1st period classrooms by 8:30 am.
Dances and Socials
  • Be aware of and comply with the following policies:
    • Only Oakwood middle school students may attend dances and socials.
    • Written permission slips with parents' contact information must be turned in before students will be allowed to enter the dance/social. 
    • No one may leave before the dance/social is over, unless a parent comes inside to accompany the student out of the dance/social.
  • Follow all school expectations. Students who don’t may be required to leave.
  • Be picked up by a parent/guardian promptly at the end of the activity.
Dress Code
  • Abide by the Oakwood Dress Code policies.
  • No visible tattoos or body art of any kind will be permitted (unless for religious purposes). This includes the drawing or marking on hands and arms with pens, pencils, markers, or any other device that leaves designs or marks, temporary or permanent.
Emergencies 
  • Listen to and promptly follow the instructions of their teacher.
  • Refrain from distracting others.
  • Refrain from texting during emergency situations; Oakwood will release all necessary authorized information.
  • Participate in emergency drills using the same conduct as an actual emergency.
Field Trips
  • Meet all school expectations, even while off school campus.
  • Listen to and follow directions of tour guides and/or program leaders promptly and respectfully.
  • Always stay in groups of at least four when not with the larger group.
Harassment
  • Refrain from harassment of another student at any time, including physical harassment, verbal harassment, cyber harassment, and/or sexual harassment.
  • Report any incident of harassment to a school official.
Language
  • Use appropriate language both in and out of the classroom.
  • Refrain from using profanity, abusive and/or vulgar language at any time while on school property, online, and/or while participating in school-sponsored events. (This includes playground, restrooms, and locker rooms.)
Lockers 


All lockers assigned to students are the exclusive property of Oakwood School. Oakwood reserves the right to search lockers and locker contents at any time, without notice, and without parental or student consent.  Any items found to be in violation of Oakwood's policies will be immediately confiscated and parents notified.

  • Use lockers exclusively to store school related materials and authorized personal items.
  • Be responsible for the contents of their lockers and not share their lockers with other students, nor divulge locker combination to other students, unless authorized by an Oakwood administrator or teacher.
  • Refrain from making marks of any kind on the inside or outside of ANY locker.
  • Not keep any food or drinks overnight inside lockers or anything that might melt.
  • Not use any form of adhesive material (i.e. stickers, tape, glue, etc.) on the inside or outside of ANY locker.  Use magnets on the inside of their lockers to hang photos, etc.
  • Keep their locker closed at all times when they are not actively engaged with using their locker.
  • Keep no more than a reasonable amount of contents in the locker.
  • Not touch or harm the contents of another student's locker at any time without that student's explicit consent.
  • Not leave anything on the ground in front of the lockers.
  • Make reasonable efforts not to block access of another student's locker.
  • Not slam or cause their locker door to slam shut OR slam or cause the locker door of another student to slam shut.
  • Use common sense when dealing with lockers.  Ask an administrator or teacher prior to acting, if unsure of proper usage.
Lunch Conduct
  • Once released from class, students may visit their lockers, and then proceed to the lunch line to get food, or to the quad area to begin eating.
  • If a lunch is delivered to school from home, pick up lunch at the office, not the parking lot.
  • Remain in their chosen location as they eat; when finished, raise their hands and wait to be excused by a teacher, then throw garbage away.
  • Wait patiently and respectfully for a teacher dismissal; dismissal to the blacktop and field begins approximately 18 minutes after lunch begins; will not be excused if they are walking around or not at the place where they ate.
  • After being excused, may socialize, play or hang out in the quad, on the black top, on the field.
  • May briefly visit lockers and restrooms, but these areas are not for socializing.
  • May visit a classroom for a pre-arranged teacher conference. Classroom doors should be locked when a teacher is not present.
  • Laptops are not to be used during lunch break, unless a teacher approves of the use in their classroom.
School Property
  • Treat school property with respect.
  • Treat school landscaping with respect including, but not limited to, refraining from walking through landscaped areas.
  • Report any incident of misuse/abuse of school property to a school official.
  • Repair or replace any property damaged due to their negligent and/or deliberate actions.
Electronics

Computers Violation may result in loss of computer privileges.

  • Maintain proper usage and care of all school equipment.
  • Use computers, related devices, the internet, and email in an appropriate, ethical, and legal manner and only for assigned schoolwork or approved activities.
  • Not access inappropriate websites, bulletin boards, or chat rooms.
  • Not circumvent Oakwood’s firewall via VPN or any other means.
  • Not play computer or video games on any electronic device during school hours, including during breaks, lunch, or study periods.
  • Convey the details of any computer/network security problem to the administration without discussing it with other students. Students should understand that the school has the ability to track student access to the internet and also to shut down access.
  • Not knowingly transmit incorrect or false information.
  • Not monitor the network's or another's computer activity.
  • Not change Oakwood computer settings/options/preferences (e.g., screensavers, desktop designs), download files or software of any type, or disrupt or attempt to disrupt an electronic device or anyone's use of an electronic device or the network.
  • Not save anything to an Oakwood computer desktop/hard drive. All student material should be saved to a student's personal USB drive or google drive.
  • Sign out of any Oakwood computer following use.
  • Not share passwords with another person or log on with another person's account.
  • Not access another's folders, work, or files unless given specific permission by the individual AND the teacher.
  • Understand that Oakwood is not responsible for the repair or loss of students' personal devices.
  • Understand that it is the students’ responsibility to make sure that the laptops are charged every night and ready for the next day.
  • Realize that laptops should remain closed until the teacher requests that the students open them.
  • Ask a teacher's permission before accessing Oakwood appropriate sites on the internet. (Turn off the monitor and notify a teacher at once if inappropriate material appears.)
  • When using laptops, have only the teacher-approved tabs and apps open.  If other tabs/apps are open during class, it will be assumed that the student is in violation of the Oakwood technology agreement.

 School Email Violation may result in loss of account privileges.

  • Use student email accounts appropriately and responsibly and realize that student email accounts may be monitored to ensure that there is no abuse or inappropriate usage.
  • Never access the internet through a cell phone or other personal device without permission of a teacher, even during BOOST. Internet access via cell phones or other non-approved personal devices is not allowed during school hours.
  • No form of instant/text messaging by students is allowed during school hours.
  • Keep all cell phones turned off and out of sight at all times (including lunch and breaks) during school hours. Smart watches should only be used for telling time during school hours.
  • Devices that are being used without permission will be confiscated.  First offense: Student will retrieve the device from the Main Office. Second offense: Parent will retrieve the device from the Main Office.  Third offense: Student will lose the privilege of having the device at school or will have to check the device into the office every day and retrieve it each day after school.

Music

  • Music may only be listened to during BOOST using a student laptop; students must use headphones and the volume should only be loud enough for that one student to hear.
  • The use of personal electronics should not distract others.
  • Phones may not be used for playing music.
  • Make sure the music on a laptop or personal device is Oakwood appropriate.

Cameras

  • The camera function of cell phones or any other kind of camera may not be used during school hours, except with the permission of a teacher.
  • May use cameras on campus only if the following specifications are followed:
    • Cameras cannot be used in the classroom unless a teacher specifically gives permission to students for each occurrence.
    • Those being filmed need to be made aware that they are being filmed and give their permission to be filmed.
    • Cameras should never be a distraction to the school atmosphere.
    • These rules apply at all times, whether during the school day or not.
    • Students who do not comply with these expectations risk losing these privileges, having the camera taken away, and possible suspension, if the action is considered by the school to be malicious
Textbooks
  • Treat textbooks with respect, both those that belong to the student and the school. 
  • Repair or replace textbooks that are lost or damaged.
Vending Machines
  • Use the vending machines in the Barn (not the Athletic Center) only at appropriate times, including brunch, breaks, and lunch. Permission from a coach or teacher is required at all other times during school hours.
  • Provide own correct change.
  • Never loiter in the vending machine area.
  • Let the front office know immediately if the vending machines are out of order.