Maranacook Community Middle School Handbook
2007/2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Message From the Principal
August, 2007
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,
Welcome to Maranacook Community Middle School! The purpose of this handbook is to provide you with information about our school. The faculty at MCMS will be reviewing the handbook with students at the beginning of the school year. We also ask that parents read it and keep it on hand as a reference throughout the year.
We are proud of our programs and our practices. We are especially proud to have been identified as a Spotlight School by the New England League of Middle Schools. We are also proud to be featured on two National Middle School Association (NMSA) professional development DVDs: This We Believe in Action and Teaming. Later this year, MCMS will also be featured in an NMSA DVD on Effective Advisory Programs.
This year we will be focusing on school climate, revising curriculum to align with the newly revised Maine Learning Results, and continuing our efforts in differentiated curriculum and instruction.
In order to continue to improve, we seek input from others. We listen to and appreciate feedback about the school. We welcome you to MCMS and look forward to seeing you in the school!
Sincerely,
Mary Callan
MCMS PHILOSOPHY AND MISSION
Philosophy
In order for adolescents to become caring, informed, and involved citizens, they must learn ways to: earn and show respect, develop a sense of belonging, and build a sense of personal self worth. Adolescents must also be able to solve complex problems, use technical and analytical skills, adapt to rapid changes in society, and live respectfully in an increasingly diverse culture.
Mission
The Maranacook Community Middle School will guide students to make responsible decisions and develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding which will transition them to a successful life course.
The Maranacook Community Middle School Program will support this mission by:
* offering challenging, integrated curricula that build on the basic skills needed to succeed in every day life.
* using a variety of teaching and learning approaches that meet the individual learning needs of each student.
* assessing student performance in ways that promote self-reflection and learning.
* providing for maximum flexibility in how learning opportunities are organized.
* creating policies and curricula that foster health, wellness, and safety.
* providing comprehensive guidance and support services for all students.
ADVISOR SYSTEM
Maranacook Community School is well known for its advisor system. Before entering the middle school, each incoming sixth grade student is assigned to an advisee group that is led by a faculty member. These groups of about twelve students stay together with the same advisor for their middle school years.
The advisee system reinforces strong community, student, and faculty ties and provides a support system for each student. Advisee groups meet on a daily basis for homeroom and for longer activities several times during the year. Through the advisor system, students are encouraged to:
* understand themselves and others better * identify interests, values, needs, and abilities
* acquire life skills * reinforce values of honesty, integrity, and responsibility
The advisor oversees the handling of many situations including inappropriate behavior requiring disciplinary action. In addition, the advisor is responsible for maintaining records for each advisee including schedules, progress reports, and grade sheets. Parents are encouraged to use the advisor as their channel of communication with the school.
The advisor system requires the commitment of students, parents, and staff. Advisee activities are an essential part of our school program. Regular attendance is expected.
WHOM DO I CONTACT WHEN…..?
Following is a description of whom you should contact for specific reasons. If you are unsure about whom to contact, please contact your child’s advisor for advice.
Advisor related questions/issues
1st Advisor
2nd Advisor Coordinator
Classroom related questions/issues
1st Classroom Teacher or Advisor
2nd Principal
Discipline
1st Advisor
2nd Dean of Students
3rd Principal
Special Education Services
1st Case Manager
2nd Principal or Dean of Students
3rd Special Education Director
Co-curricular/Athletics
1st Director of Student Services Secretary
2nd Director of Student Services
Bus Routes
1st Transportation Director
Bus Discipline
1st Dean of Student
2nd Transportation Director
Health or Guidance
1st Wellness Secretary (to direct your call)
2nd Nurse or Guidance Counselor
3rd Principal
Facility Use
1st Office Coordinator
2nd Director of Maintenance
Food Services/School Lunch
1st Director of Food Services
2nd Principal
ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL VOICEMAIL NUMBERS
MCMS 685-3128
Office Coordinator |
Phyllis Cote |
401 |
Wellness Secretary |
Kim Lucas |
402 |
Principal |
Mary Callan |
403 |
Dean of Students |
Cathy Jacbos |
404 |
Sp Ed Coordinator |
Sunshine Perlis |
434 |
Platinum Team Leader |
Dan Holman |
421 |
Sage Team Leader |
Patty Gordon |
442 |
Blue Team Leader |
MaryAnn Knowles |
433 |
Orange Team Leader |
Sherri Pelletier |
426 |
Teal Team Leader |
Wendy Shaw |
447 |
Purple Team Leader |
Aimee Reiter |
439 |
Unified Arts Team Leader |
Linda Phillips |
463 |
Foreign Language Team Leader |
MaryBeth Maloney |
461 |
Director of Student Services |
Al MacGregor |
322 |
Student Services Secretary |
Kathy Gibbs |
315 |
Director of Maintenance |
Paul Criss |
337 |
Director of Food Services |
Jeff Bridges |
333 |
Media Services |
Susan Troff |
445 |
Wellness Center Coordinator |
Cindy Flye |
318 |
Other Support Personnel |
School Nurse |
Vicky Gabrion |
451 |
Guidance Counselor/Advisor Coordinator |
Maggie McKinney |
452 |
Guidance Counselor |
Gwen Mohlar |
470 |
Technology Specialist |
Diane MacGregor |
431 |
Gifted & Talented Coordinator |
Stan Keach |
464 |
Superintendent Office Contact Information: 685-3336 |
Superintendent |
Rich Abramson |
305 |
Finance Manager |
Brigette Williams |
307 |
Personnel |
Linda Morin |
306 |
Administrative Secretary |
Donna Foster |
302 |
Payroll |
Betty Wilson |
303 |
Book Keeping |
Lynn Knox |
310 |
Receptionist |
Susan Fish |
301 |
Assistant Superintendent/Sp Ed Director |
Lew Collins |
685-4372 |
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL:
The school is open for students to arrive after 7:30 am. If a student is arriving any earlier, s/he must have a note from the staff member the student is meeting with and from his/her parent or guardian. The parent/guardian of any student who arrives earlier than 7:30 am, without these arrangements, will be contacted by the school to discuss alternative arrangements.
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES:
A. Students may stay after school without signing in at the office only if they are playing in a sport or they are in another school-sponsored activity. Students staying after school for any other reason must have a staff sponsor watching over them for the whole time that they are on campus. They must also have a signed note from a parent. Students must sign in at the Front Office no later than noon on that day.
B. Students staying to watch a school-sponsored event (such as a soccer game) that begins no later than 3:30 need a note from home and they must sign in at the front office no later than noon of that day. They are required to have a staff sponsor up until the start of the event. The students are expected to only attend that approved activity. Students who are staying to watch events that begin after 3:30 must either follow the procedure described in "A" above or go home and return with an adult who will be responsible for their supervision during the event.
C. Students that do not follow these expectations will not be allowed to attend or participate in any after school activities until further notice.
SPORTS FREE DAY:
In order to allow our students more opportunities to participate in a variety of activities, we have designated Fridays as a Sports Free Day. No practices are scheduled on Fridays. The Director of Student Services does not schedule games or meets on that day unless absolutely necessary. Intramural activities and other clubs make every effort to meet on Sports Free Days.
LATE BUS:
Each day we have late buses available for students who participate in afterschool activities. These buses leave at 5:00 pm and have designated drop off points in each town.
BUILDING CARE AND SAFETY
In order to maintain a clean, safe learning environment, we have the following expectations:
*No Gum *No Sugared Drinks in Classrooms or Hallways (all other drinks must be in covered containers) *Any food in the classroom must be stored and disposed of appropriately.
*Middle School students are not allowed to drive motorized vehicles, such as snowmobiles, on school grounds. We do not allow skateboards, scooters, or shoes with "wheelies".
ATTENDANCE
What parents should do when your child is absent:
* Call the school that day or send a note with your child the day that s/he returns to school.
* Sign a Planned Absence Form for anticipated absences, which will indicate your child’s status for each class. These forms are in the Front Office.
Until we receive a phone call or a note from home, the absence will be recorded as “unexcused”.
If the absence has been recorded as “unexcused”, no credit will be given for work completed or due on the day of the absence.
An absence due to an extended illness, family emergency, or long term school sponsored trip may require additional time for work to be made up, with the approval of the student’s teachers.
It is the student’s responsibility to make up all work missed and/or make alternate arrangements with his/her teachers.
Students must be present for the full day in order to participate in any after school activities
(unless a portion of the day is missed due to an emergency or a medical appointment and verified by a note)
STUDENT WELLNESS CENTER
The Wellness Center is available to all students and offers health care and health counseling services every day during the school year. The school nurse is available each day from 7:30 am - 3:30 pm to assist students with their needs.
Expanded services are also available through the high school student health center with physician assistants available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Resident physicians on Thursdays (periodically) and counselors on a daily basis. Parent permission must be on file for expanded health center services. The Athletic Trainer provides care on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Students who become ill at school inform a teacher or staff member and then report to the Wellness Center. A student may be dismissed from school after the nurse has assessed the situation. The parent/guardian will be contacted for permission for the student to be dismissed and to arrange for transportation. If the student has permission on file to see the physician assistant (expanded health center services) the school nurse may refer the student to the physician assistant for further assessment and/or treatment.
Emergency information on each student must be provided annually by parents/guardians to be placed on file in the Wellness Center.
MCMS CURRICULUM
Core Studies
As noted in the mission, our goal is to offer curricula that is “challenging, integrated,” and that builds “on the basics needed to succeed in every day life.” To accomplish this goal, we use a democratic curriculum planning process. This process enables teachers to create curriculum that is based on students’ questions about themselves and the world. The teachers use Maine’s Learning Results to ensure that the content studied is challenging and meets the State standards. The curriculum is developed into three themes for the year. These themes cross content area boundaries and provide students a cohesive, meaningful curriculum. The teachers develop scoring guides (rubrics) based on the content of each theme. The results of how students are performing are constantly shared with each
student during the course of the trimester. A mid-trimester report is sent home to each parent. A second report is sent home later in the trimester if the student is in danger of not meeting the standards and agreed upon expectations.
Mathematics
MCMS has used the Connected Mathematics Program (CMP) as a basis for math curriculum. CMP is aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics curriculum standards and with the Maine Learning Results. The units focus on issues that are interesting to middle school students. It is also very enriched with algebra starting in grade seven. In addition, the type of responses required from the students in this curriculum matches the expectations for student responses on the grade eight Maine Education Assessment. Parents may want to use Math on Call when helping their children with CMP homework. This is available at MCMS upon request. Many parents have found it to be a valuable resource!
Unified Arts
All of our students are exposed to a variety of experiences “beyond the core.” These classes are designed to give students opportunities to explore areas of interest and expertise that they can continue to build on throughout their lives. We offer Art, Technology Education, Music, Health and Physical Education Unified Arts classes each year for all students.
Foreign Language
Students are required to take one of three offered foreign languages at MCMS. We offer French, German, and Spanish. Students are expected to take one of these languages for all three middle school years. Extending the first level of the language over three years gives the students time to learn the foundations of the language in a very interactive way that aligns with the learning needs of early adolescents. It also allows students to learn the language at different rates according to individual readiness. Successful completion of the course allows students to enter the second year of that language when they go on to high school. Our three foreign language teachers work closely with both the elementary and high school foreign language teachers to ensure that the curriculum is aligned across the
district.
Technology and Learning at MCMS
As a result of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), our seventh and eighth grade students have one to one use of technology. Through the commitment of our district, our sixth graders now have one to one access as well. The technology integration specialist works with teachers and students supporting them in the integration of technology into the classroom. Students are able to take home their computers after parents have attended a required informational meeting regarding the care and use of the laptops in a home environment.
CO-CURRICULAR ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS
Maranacook Community Middle School co-curricular eligibility standards are designed to be proactive in determining how a student is performing academically and to increase the lines of communication between the school and the home. By taking a proactive stance, our hope is to identify, at an early date, those students who are having academic troubles and to provide ample time and opportunity for academic support.
In order to participate in co-curricular activities, students must:
* Have had a physical within the past two years, which is on file in our Wellness Center;
* Have proof of insurance;
* Have turned in a signed contract;
* Be in good academic standing.
Any time a student is failing a class, s/he will be placed on probation for two weeks. During the probationary period, the student will be expected to attend all games, meetings, and practices, but will not be allowed to play in any games. If the student is failing more than one class, s/he will not be able to practice or play with the team for the two- week period.
If, after two weeks, the student is still failing the same class(es), s/he will be under academic suspension, where the student is expected to attend make up sessions with his/her academic teachers. The student will not participate in any games, meetings, or practices.
If, after the two-week academic suspension, the student is still failing the same class(es), s/he will remain ineligible to play until progress reports or grades are issued.
The elegibility report dates for 2007-08 are as follows:
September 21 Oct. 5 & 19
December 7 & 21 January 11 & 25
February 8 March 7 & 21
April 4 & 17 May 9 & 23
CO-CURRICULAR OFFERINGS
In keeping with our philosophy of helping our students “to become caring, informed, and involved citizens”, we offer many opportunities for students “to earn and show respect, develop a sense of belonging, and build a sense of self worth” through our co-curricular programs.
Concert Band & Jazz Band
Chorus & Jazz Chorus
Climate Committee
Math Team
Senate
Yearbook
Play
Intramural activities are determined by student input and have included
Knitting, Snow Boarding, Art, Spring Soccer, Chess, Archery, Swimming and Quilting.
SPORTS
In keeping with the Captiol Area regulations and Sports Done Right, MCMS offers the most competive, high impact sports to students in grades 7 and 8. Students try out for these teams (*starred below). If there are unfilled positions on a team after that process, grade 6 students will be offered the opportunity to try out for those positions. All other athletic teams are open to all middle school students in grades 6-8 without a try-out process.
* Baseball Alpine & Nordic Skiing
* Basketball Cross Country
* Field Hockey Track and Field
* Football (one team for grades 7 & 8)
* Soccer
* Softball
GRADING SYSTEM
Grade Equivalents
A+ 97-100 A 93-96 A- 90-92
B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82
C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C- 70-72
D+ 68-69 D 65-67 NC 0-64 (no credit)
High Honors is A- or better in all courses
Honors is B- or better in all courses
GRADING DATES FOR 2007/2008
CORE Grading Periods:
Trimester 1 August 29-November 30
Progress Reports mailed October 16
Warning Notices mailed November 6
Tri 1 Grades mailed December 12
Trimester 2 December 3-March 14
Progress Reports mailed January 22
Warning Notices mailed February 12
Tri 2 Grades mailed March 26
Trimester 3 March 17-June 13
Progress Reports mailed May 6
Warning Notices mailed May 27
Tri 3 Grades mailed June 13
PE and Health Grading Periods:
Quarter 1 August 29-November 2
Quarter 2 November 5-January 23
Quarter 3 January 24-April 2
Quarter 4 April 3-June 13
Art, Tech Ed and Music Grading Periods:
Sixth #1 August 29-October 12
Sixth #2 October 15-November 30
Sixth #3 December 3-January 24
Sixth #4 January 25-March 13
Sixth #5 March 14-May 2
Sixth #6 May 5-June 13
Code of Academic Integrity
The excellence and high scholastic achievement we expect students to pursue rests on the foundation of academic honesty. Students are expected to conduct themselves according to the highest standards of personal honor and accountability. All students have a responsibility to do their own work on all assignments in order to receive maximum benefit from the instructional program. In cases where academic dishonesty (plagiarism or cheating) is suspected, the staff member will confiscate the material in question and report it to the Middle School Dean of Students with a written Incident Report. The Dean of Students will take the appropriate disciplinary action. This may include a "0" gr | 
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