- NIS Home

The information contained in the student agenda book is intended to give students and parents/guardians an overview of some of the guidelines, rules, and regulations that govern our school. This is by no means a complete listing of the guidelines, rules, regulations, and policies that are adopted and enforced by School Board, and State and Federal laws. Parents and students are encouraged to read the Parent Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct contained therein.  Students are also governed by the NCPS Code of Conduct/Handbook.

GUIDANCE 
Guidance services are available to every student in the school. These services include assistance with educational planning; interpretation of test scores; occupation/career information; study skills; help with home, school, and/or social concerns; or any questions the student may feel he/she would like to discuss with the counselor. A cumulative folder is maintained in Guidance for each student attending the school. Identifying data, grades, test scores, and attendance for each year the student has been enrolled in school are included in this folder. Parents may contact the Guidance Office concerning access or release of school records.

LIBRARY
The library/media center is available to support the academic success of each student. The library is computerized to provide for easier checkout, card catalog searches and Internet access. Computers are available for students to use word processing and other Windows programs. Students are expected to adhere to the Acceptable Computer Internet Usage Policy in the county handbook. Students are allowed to check out two books at a time, with one renewal per book. Reference materials are available for overnight checkout; however, during class reports reference books should remain in the library unless the teacher and/or the librarian have granted permission.

STUDENT ABSENCES AND EXCUSES
School attendance is ultimately the responsibility of the student and his/her parents/guardians. It is directly related to academic achievement and to the development of good work habits. For this reason, Nottoway County Schools will hold students to strict attendance regulations. These regulations are part of the Code of Virginia (22.1-254) and are enforced by the courts. Students who are absent are requested to bring a note from their parent or guardian the first day they return to school following the absence. On the student’s fifth unexcused absence from any class period, the teacher will send a form letter indicating dates of absences to the office. Only medical notes, court subpoenas, or death in the family will receive excused notes. The school will report truancy cases to the Truancy officer and will follow the county guidelines for mandatory school attendance. 

Parents should contact the school office as soon as possible when they know that their son or daughter will be out for an extended period of time. For excused absences, teachers will allow one day to makeup work for each day missed. Homework can be sent home for excused extended absences with a 24-hour notice to the school, or assignments can be obtained from the Homework Hotline, if available.

LATE ARRIVALS: A student will be considered a late arrival if he/she has not arrived for school when the school day begins. The student should be certain to bring a written excuse from home stating the reason for being late.

TARDY POLICY: All students that arrive to school after the 8:30 tardy bell has rang will be considered tardy. There will be three minutes between class changes for sixth graders at NIS. Students accumulating excessive tardies will be subject to disciplinary action. After receiving three tardies the student will be assigned one-day of detention or Saturday Detention. Parent contact will be made after a student receives his/her 3rd tardy. On the 4th tardy the student will be assigned two days detention or sent to ISS for one day. Further accumulation of tardies will result in further disciplinary action. Detention is assigned after school and parent is responsible for transportation home. Detention will end promptly at 4:30 when assigned during the school week or at 12:00pm on Saturday’s. 

EARLY DISMISSALS: Early dismissal request should be for crucial and unavoidable situations. Parents picking up students must come to the office and sign-out their child.

HALL PASSES: All students should have a proper pass issued by a staff member whenever they are in the hall or on school grounds during class time. At NIS, each student will be issued an agenda book free of charge. The student agenda book will serve as a student’s hall pass; therefore, it is important that the student keeps up with his/her agenda book at all times. There is a five-dollar replacement cost for any student who loses his/her agenda book.

CORRIDOR POLICY: Students are to use the right side of the corridor for all movement throughout the school. Groups are not to congregate or merely stand in the hallway and hinder the efficient flow of traffic. Running in the hall creates a hazard and is not permissible. Students should refrain from loud talking and boisterous behavior while in hall.

STUDENT CLASSROOM RESPONSIBILITIES

Each student is expected to accept the responsibilities necessary to receive an education. These responsibilities include the following:

1) Be present at school every day possible – the higher the rate of attendance, the higher the rate of success.
2) Be prompt to class.
3) Be sure to bring proper materials (i.e. textbooks, workbooks, pencil, paper, etc.) required for the day’s instruction.
4) Be sure to display proper respect and courtesy toward faculty, staff, and fellow students. Respect goes a long way toward success in relationships. Also, display respect for school equipment, furniture, and materials.
5) Be honest with teachers when problems arise. Students should request a conference at a private time to discuss personal problems.
6) Be aware of and follow individual classroom rules.


CHEWING GUM: NIS students are not allowed to chew gum. In the past, whenever gum was dropped on the floor it resulted in a dark unsightly stain. In many cases the stain is virtually impossible to remove. Teachers will warn student on the first 

SKIPPING CLASS: A student will be considered skipping class if he/she fails to report to class. Teachers are to notify the office immediately if a student is suspected of skipping. 1st offense, 1 day ISS, 2nd offense, 2 days ISS, 3rd offense, 1 day OSS, etc. …


STUDENT DRESS REGULATIONS
The student dress regulations are designed to promote cleanliness, modesty, and decency among our students. The attitude and pride of our school is directly reflected in the dress and outward appearance of the individual student. A student’s appearance shall not be such that it causes disruption, distracts others from the educational process or creates a health or safety problem. Students are not to wear any items of clothing that expose body parts such as, but not limited to: (The following are examples and are NOT an exclusive list of unacceptable dress)

1) Midriff, cleavage, and undergarments.
2) Short skirts, cut-offs, halter-tops, bare midriff, swim suits, transparent blouses (see-through garments), tight stretch pants, sagging pants, or jeans, hats (or other head coverings) are examples of inappropriate attire and shall not be worn.
3) Clothing should not be offensive to teachers, students, or others at school.
4) Spandex or articles of clothing that are excessively tight are not to be worn to school e.g. (biker pants, shorts).
5) Skirts, shorts, and dress must extend beyond the fingertips when arms are held naturally.
6) Pants must be worn to the waist: not sagging to the point of exposing undergarments (e.g. underwear, jogging pants, shorts, or gym shorts, etc.).
7) Shirts are to be worn at all times. No tank tops, low cut tank top dresses, spaghetti strap shirts/dresses, etc..
8) Shoes are to be worn at all times for safety and sanitary reasons.
9) Hats (except for Read-Up Hats) and sunglasses are not to be worn in school and during classes.
10) Rakes, combs, picks, curlers, rollers, bandannas, “head rags”, or other grooming articles are not to be worn in the hair.
11) See the Nottoway County Public Schools’ Grades PreK-12 Parent-Student Handbook for more in depth details regarding the guidelines, regulations, and policies that govern our school. 

VISITORS
All guests and visitors must register in the office. Failure to do so may result in being asked to leave the premises or arrested for trespassing. Visitors will be issued a “Visitor’s Pass” by the office staff. Students are not allowed to bring guests to school.

LOCKERS / LOCKS
Students are issued lockers that are located as close as possible to their homeroom. It is the student’s responsibility to bring a lock from home to secure his/her locker. Students are to use only the locker assigned to them. Students are not allowed to use empty lockers or their friends’ lockers. Students are responsible for the care and condition of their locker at all times. Loss of articles is the responsibility of the student.
The principal, or her designated representative, reserves the right to search any student’s locker in order to maintain the integrity of the school environment and to protect other students and staff. When keys to locks are lost or not available, although unfortunate, locks will be cut for locker access to classroom supplies and searches. The cost of locks will not be refunded so students are advised to keep keys on hand or to purchase combination locks only.


LOST & FOUND
Personal items, textbooks, workbooks, and notebooks that have been found will be placed in the lost and found box in the cafeteria. Students should label all personal property. 

CITIZENSHIP
Students are expected to uphold certain standards of behavior. Students are expected to treat all teachers, administrators, and faculty and staff members, as well as their fellow students, with both courtesy and respect. Using one’s best manners while at school ensures that everyone has a safe and pleasant environment in which to learn. 

Students should also focus on academics as their top priority. Acquiring the knowledge to pass the Standards of Learning tests is the short-term goal, and laying a solid foundation for high school in the extended goal.

Students are also expected to be contributing members of the community. There are many activities available to supplement classroom education, including sports, academic clubs, and other contests and competitions. Students are also encouraged to participate in school and PTA activities, including those that benefit charitable organizations. 

GRADING SYSTEM

The grading system for Nottoway County Public Schools is as follows:

A = 100 – 94 B = 93 – 88 

C = 87 –81 D = 80 – 75 

F = Below 75


STUDENT BEHAVIOR INCENTIVE PROGRAM
Students with good behavior may attend an array of positive activities throughout the school year. The activities may relate to holiday themes and/or include drama productions, musical performances, and other fun activities sponsored through our local PTA or classrooms. 

Participation in special activities is based on the student’s positive behavior (having received no disciplinary action) thirty days prior to the event. A student may receive one referral as long as no punishment was deemed necessary. However, multiple referrals will exclude a student. Also any students released from ISS or OSS on the day of the event must attend school at least one-half day before being allowed to attend the event. Examples of such events include our PTA dances. 

GOOD STANDING/GOOD CONDUCT
In order to participate in or attend extracurricular activities, a student must be in good standing/good conduct in the school community, both academically and behaviorally. The principal has the authority to prohibit any student from participating or attending any school related activity at any time, including athletic events. A student who has been declared NOT IN GOOD STANDING is not allowed to attend or participate in any extracurricular activities for a period of thirty calendar days.
Some reasons for placing a student on “NOT IN GOOD STANDING/GOOD CONDUCT STATUS”:
· Fighting or Violent Behavior
· Possession or Use of Alcohol or Drugs
· Possession or Use of Tobacco Products
· Truancy
· Other Inappropriate Behavior as Specified by the Principal

NIS “U” POLICY
Any student assigned to ISS or OSS will receive a “U” in conduct during the 6 weeks of his/her ISS/OSS assignment. Any student that accumulates a “U” in 3 different 6 weeks grading period will not be allowed to attend field day. 


AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND ABSENCES
For a student to be able to participate in school sponsored activities, he or she must be in school at least one-half of the day on the day of school event or the day before the event if it is held on a weekend. The student must also be in good standing.
(The principal must approve the rare exceptions to this rule in advance.)

CHARACTER EDUCATION
Character is those positive qualities that a person possesses or strives to acquire to help make him/her a better person. It is those traits that let other people know what kind of person you really are. At Nottoway Middle School our character education program is designed to teach students and provide them with opportunities to practice character building traits that will improve the moral climate of the school and community and will help to prepare students to become responsible, productive citizens in a global community.

Although there are many character traits that teachers and other staff members attempt to address with our students., Our school division focuses on the following character traits.

Attentiveness: Look at people when they speak to me, ask questions if I don’t understand, sit or stand up straight, not draw attention to myself, and keep my eyes, ears, hands, feet, and mouth from distraction.
Obedience: Obey my authorities immediately, have a cheerful attitude, complete all that I am expected to do, not complain, and go the “extra mile”.
Truthfulness: Tell the truth, encourage others to tell the truth, not cheat or steal, admit it when I am wrong, and not exaggerate to make things seem different than what they are.
Gratefulness: Show my parents and teachers that I appreciate them, write “Thank You” notes, take care of my things, be content with what I have, count my benefits rather than my burdens.
Generosity: Share what I have with others, recycle, not expect anything in return for my generosity, give of my time and talents, and praise the good I see in others.
Orderliness: Pick up after myself, keep my work and play areas clean and neat, put things back where they belong, use things only for their intended purpose, and return lost things to their rightful owners.
Forgiveness: Be quick to forgive, not cover up my own wrong but will be quick to ask for forgiveness, not seek revenge, respond kindly to those who hurt me, and not take offense for others.
Sincerity: Be all that I can be, take responsibility for my own actions, respect others’ opinions, always mean what I say, and not take advantage of other people.
Virtue: Do what is right and encourage others to do the same, guard my eyes, ears, words, and thoughts, learn to stand alone, abstain from anything which might damage or pollute my mind or body, and treat others as I want them to treat me.



INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS THAT GET YOU IN TROUBLE
Stop, Listen, and Think About It. It is easy to get in trouble, but twice as hard to get out. Students often find themselves in trouble simply because they forget that there are consequences for their inappropriate behavior. In an effort to help students become aware of some of the more frequently occurring behavioral offenses that result in referrals to the principal’s office, printed below is a list that draws a lot of administrative attention.

1. Aggressive Behavior. Behavior such as verbal threats/verbal altercations, pushing, shoving, slapping, bitting, or spitting between or among students in which no bodily injury is inflicted.

2. Assault or Battery. A student shall not assault or commit battery upon another person. Voluntary fighting resulting in physical injury to another person shall be considered assault and battery. The police may be notified.

3. Bomb Threats. Threat of using a bomb, utterance or written statements by an individual(s) to use any explosive to do harm. The police shall be notified in all cases.

4. Disrespect to School Personnel. Inappropriate language, behavior, written material or gestures, refusal to carry out instructions of school personnel and failure to accept disciplinary actions. Severe cases may be referred to juvenile court.

5. Disruptive Behavior. Acts which interfere with the normal operation of a school or which cause disruption of learning opportunities or school-sponsored activities for the entire school or any parts thereof.

6. Drugs (illegal, controlled, or imitations) The sale, purchase, possession, use, or the influence

7. Electronic Devices. Including, but not limited to radios, TV’s, walkmans, diskmans, gameboys, beepers/pagers, laser pointers, cellular phone, and other communication devices, etc.

8. Fighting. The exchange of multiple or serious blow(s) between or among students with intent to harm or inflict injury. The police may be notified and referral to juvenile court.

9. Gang Activity. Students shall not engage in gang activity on school grounds, on school buses or on school sponsored activities.

10. Harassment (sexual, verbal, written or touching). A student shall not harass another student or any employee, volunteer, student teacher, or any other person present in school facilities or at school functions. Disposition may include counseling with student, parent(s), and teachers; alternative assignments, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension or recommendation for expulsion.

11. Inappropriate Sexual Behavior. To include, but not limited to indecent exposure and inappropriate touching.

12. Violation of Dress Code. (See Dress Code)

13. Bullying/Intimidation. Student shall not make any verbal or physical threat of bodily injury or use of force directed toward another person for purpose of extortion or for any reason


MEDICINE AT SCHOOL
Nottoway County Public School personnel may give prescription or nonprescription medication to students only with a physician’s written order and permission from the student’s parent/guardian. Such permission shall include the name of the medication, the required dosage of the medication, and the time the medicine is to be given. Such medicine must be in the original container and delivered to the 
principal, school nurse, or school division designee by parent/guardian of the student. 


TEXTBOOKS
The county will furnish textbooks at no cost to students. However, students are financially responsible for books if lost or damaged.

DISCIPLINE
If a student is unable to practice self-discipline successfully, then he/she may be referred to the school administrator for appropriate disciplinary actions. The principal, acting as an agent for the Superintendent, may suspend a student from school for sufficient cause.

Depending on the severity of the infraction, disciplinary action may include: lunch detention, after school detention, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, or recommendation for expulsion. Students that are removed from ISS for misbehavior or failure to complete assignments will receive OSS at the discretion of the administration. Students must complete their ISS assignment upon their return to school, unless extenuating circumstances exist. 

Some possible disciplinary actions are explained in the Nottoway County Public Schools Grade PreK-12, Parent-Student Handbook. 

DETENTION: The administrators or a teacher may detain students during lunch or after school for misconduct; breaking school or classroom rules. Any student who is assigned to lunch detention twice in a week by a school administrator or more than one teacher for inappropriate behavior and/or failure to comply with classroom rules will be given 2 days After School Detention. Parents will be notified and transportation home becomes the responsibility of the parent/guardian. 

IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION: A student may be assigned in-school suspension (ISS) for acts of inappropriate behavior. While in ISS the student is required to complete class work that is provided by the teacher. An ISS coordinator monitors students who are assigned ISS.

OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION: A student may be assigned out-of-school suspension for up to 10 days per infraction by the school principal. Students with reoccurring misconduct may be required to hold a meeting that involves the parent, student, and superintendent.

EXPULSION: the Nottoway County School Board for violation of certain rules, regulations, policies, or for habitual offenses may expel Students.


POSITIVE RECOGNITIONS
Students are recognized each six weeks for Principal’s list, Honor Roll, and Merit’s List. 

Guidelines are as follows:
Principal’s list- pupils who have no grade lower than an “A” for the six weeks and do not have unsatisfactory on citizenship and are in good standing. 

Honor Roll- pupils who have no grade lower than a “B” for the six weeks and do not have an unsatisfactory on citizenship and are in good standing.

Merit’s List- pupils who have no grade lower than a “C” while maintaining a “B” average (one “A” for each “C”) and who do not have an unsatisfactory on citizenship and are in good standing. 

Perfect Attendance-Students who qualify for perfect attendance attend school each day, do not arrive to school late, and have no suspensions.