Lancaster County School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, age, religion, handicapping conditions or national origin in its programs or activities. The following district staff has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination polices:

Section 504 inquires:

Dr. Kathy Durbin, Director of Student Services

Lancaster County School District

302 West Dunlap Street

Lancaster, South Carolina 29720

(803) 285-8439

Title IX and Title II of the ADA inquires:

Lydia Quinn, Director of Human Resources

307 South Catawba Street

Lancaster, South Carolina 29720

(803) 286-6972

Students with Special Health Care Needs

Many health care services can be provided for students to keep them at school where they can learn and participate with other students. Our goal is to provide information to parents and legal guardians about some of the services and programs available for addressing the health care needs of students during the school day to help students succeed in school. It is important that the necessary health care information is shared with the appropriate people—such as teachers on duty during recess, bus drivers, and cafeteria employees—to make sure that the students’ needs are met throughout the school day.

Individual Health Care Plans or Individual Health Plans (IHPs)

Individual health care plans are also called individual health plans or IHPs. School nurses who are registered nurses write IHPs to guide how a student’s health care needs will be met while at school. The nurse works with the student, the student’s parents or legal guardians, the student’s health care provider, and other school staff to write the plan. IHPs are written for students who have special health care needs that must be met by school staff during the school day. IHPs are also written for students who have been approved by the school district to self-medicate or self-monitor. To learn more about IHPs, talk with your child’s school nurse or lead nurse Grace Ann Jones, 803-475-2381/803-283-1958, Andrew Jackson High, 6925 Kershaw-Camden Highway, Kershaw SC 29067.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504)

Section 504 is a federal law that requires public schools to make adjustments so that students with certain disabilities can learn and participate in settings like other students who do not have disabilities. To be eligible for services under Section 504, a student must have a condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities. A team decides if a student is eligible. The team should include the student’s parent or legal guardian, the student (if able), and others who know the student or know about the student’s disability, such as a teacher, a guidance counselor, a school nurse, and other school staff. If the student is eligible, the team develops an individual accommodation plan. The individual accommodation plan explains how the student’s needs will be met while at school and may include health services for the student during the school day if needed. To learn more about Section 504, contact Student Services Director Kathy Durbin, 803-285-8438, 302 West Dunlap Street, Lancaster SC 29720.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Students, ages 3 through 21 years, may receive services under the IDEA if the student needs special education and related services to benefit from his or her educational program. A team decides if a student qualifies for services under the IDEA. The team includes the student’s parent or legal guardian, teachers, and other school staff. The team develops an individualized education program (IEP) if the student meets federal and state requirements. The IEP outlines a plan for helping the student receive a free appropriate public education and meet goals set by the team. The IEP may include health services for the student during the school day if needed. Contact Student Services Director Kathy Durbin, 803-285-8438, 302 West Dunlap Street, Lancaster SC 29720 to learn more about the IDEA.

Medical Homebound Instruction

Medical homebound instruction is a service that is available for students who cannot attend school for a medical reason even with the aid of transportation. A physician must certify that the student has such a medical condition but may benefit from instruction, and must fill out the medical homebound form that the school district provides. The school district then decides whether to approve the student for medical homebound services. The school district will consider the severity of the student’s illness or injury, the length of time that the student will be out of school, the impact that a long period away from school will have on the student’s academic success, and whether the student’s health needs can be met at school.

SOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL

HANDBOOK

2020-2021

ATHLETICS

Football, volleyball, and basketball are open to students who are in the seventh and eighth grades and who will not reach their fifteenth birthday before September 1. A student may complete a season that is already in progress. A seventh or eighth grade student must have been promoted the previous year in order to participate in athletics. The S.C. High School League does not allow students below the seventh grade level to play on interscholastic teams. Sixth grade teams may continue to play on the teams provided by the Lancaster County Recreation Department. Policies and/or regulations governing the interscholastic athletic program are set forth by the S.C. High School League, the school district, and South Middle School.

ATTENDANCE/RECOVERY/TARDY POLICY

All attendance requirements are listed in the Learning newsletter that each student will receive at the beginning of the school year. All South Middle School students and their parents should read this information. Students who are absent more than ten unexcused days will have to serve recovery hours after school. Students are allowed six unexcused tardies to school during a semester provided they are late for a good reason. After the sixth unexcused tardy during a semester, the student will be assigned a lunch detention each day they are tardy. Students will lose team time once they accumulate ten tardies.

BULLYING

South Middle School students are to show responsible behavior. This is especially true in going to and from school. Many people have no other means of judging South Middle School than by the behavior of its students; therefore, students are expected to exhibit mannerly behavior in their contacts with all people. Respect for parents, teachers, and fellow students is expected. Sportsmanship as athletes and spectators, neatness and cleanliness in dress and appearance, language, and behavior all reflect on the students of South Middle School. A primary goal of education is to prepare students for a healthy, functional life in society.

BUS RULES AND DISCIPLINE

The Learning Newsletter that is given to each student at the beginning of the school year contains these rules. All South Middle School students and their parents should read this information. Information regarding bus transportation can be received by contacting the bus supervisor at 416-8918 or 416-8919 between the hours of 6:45am and 4:30pm.

General Information:

Students must board and depart from school buses at their regular stops unless they have permission from the bus supervisor.
No student may ride a different bus without permission from the principal or bus supervisor.
Students must be ready for the bus when it arrives. Buses cannot hold up the schedule by waiting for a student who is not on time.
Buses cannot leave the route to pick up or discharge any students who live nearer than a mile to the most feasible route.
Bus stops must be at least 2 tenths of a mile apart.
Students who misbehave on the bus may be suspended from the bus and can eventually lose their riding privileges. Students must remain seated at all times and speak in conversational tones. Students are under the supervision of the bus driver and will obey his instructions.
In rainy weather, the bus driver cannot leave the regular route but can stop at the closest point to each home.
Each student will board the correct bus at South Middle School and will remain on his/her bus until arriving at home. Any students departing from their bus at any other school (unless this is his/her designation) will face suspension from the bus.

Meeting the bus

Never attempt to leave until the bus has come to a full stop and the door is open.
Leave in an orderly manner.
Do not loiter or play around the stopped or parked bus.
Remain seated until the bus comes to a complete stop.
Do not enter a restricted area set aside for bus parking or loading unless the bus is at a complete stop.

Car Riders

Car riders are picked up in the car rider area. They are not to be picked up at the elementary school.

CLOTHING AND APPEARANCE

The purpose of the Lancaster County School District dress code is to ensure that each student is dressed in clothing conducive to promoting a learning environment. Clothing should be safe and comfortable. Clothing that is too tight, too short, or that reveals undergarments or torso, is not appropriate for school. Clothing should be clean and in good repair.

Dress Code for 2021-22

● Per the Lancaster County School Board approval, all middle schools within the district no longer require school uniforms. We do still have a dress code that must be followed. Please keep this information in mind while shopping for school clothes.

○ No offensive or inappropriate images, advertisements, or sayings should appear on clothing.

PANTS / SLACKS / SHORTS / CAPRIS / SKIRTS:

Pants should not have holes above the knee. No skin above the knee should be visible.
Pants must have a waist band.
Pants should be worn at the waist.
No yoga pants of any type may be worn.
Shorts, capris, and skirts must be no shorter than 2 inches above the knee.
Leggings are not to be worn unless they are under a skirt that reaches mid-thigh

SHIRTS:

Shirts must not be tight, see- through, or provocative.
Shirts must have a collar and sleeves that are at least 3 inches long.
Camisoles are not appropriate. All Shirts must have sleeves.
Belly shirts or shirts where the midriff is exposed should not be worn at school. (If a student raises their arms above their heads, their midriff should not show)

SWEATERS / SWEATSHIRTS / WARM-UP JACKETS / HOODIES:

Hoods cannot be placed on the head in the building.

SHOES:

All shoes must have backs or a heel strap.
Shoes with laces must be tied.
Shoes should not have lights or wheels.
Flip-flops, bedroom shoes, or shoes with cleats are not allowed.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Bandanas should not be worn or shown
Jewelry should not be a distraction in the classroom. .
Combs, picks, and other hair accessories that are a distraction are not allowed.
Inappropriate belt buckles are not allowed.
Sunglasses are not allowed.
Hoods, hats, and other head coverings are not to be on a student's head inside of the school building. This is for security purposes.

DETENTIONS

Detentions are assigned for offenses such as tardiness and misconduct in halls or the classroom. Excessive detentions will result in the need for a parent conference and/or suspension. Detentions will be held after school, during lunch, and during team time at a time and place designated by the teachers on the student's team.

DISTURBING SCHOOL

It is unlawful for any person to:

Interfere with or disturb in any way or in any place the students or teachers of any school,
Loiter about or enter a school, except on business, without permission of the principal or person in charge,
Act in an obnoxious manner on school property.

EARLY DEPARTURES

1. Students needing to leave before the end of the school day will need to have a parent or guardian come to the school office and sign the student out no later than 3:00.

2. Students are required to attend each class a minimum number of days during each instructional/grading period (refer to attendance section), and early departures that result in a class absence are deducted from the total days in attendance.

GENERAL PROCEDURES BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL

Students will not be supervised before 7:30am and after 4:00pm. It is important for all students to know where to report in the morning before school begins. All students, regardless of how they arrive at school, should follow these procedures:

Report to the cafeteria for breakfast before entering the gym.

Report to the gym and take a seat in the bleachers. Do not move from one side of the gym to the other.

Students should remember—

-Running and chasing in the courtyard are not permitted.

-Throwing articles or trash anywhere on the school grounds is against rules. All trash should be

placed in proper containers.

-Students should be in the gym, eating in the cafeteria, or in the library before school.

COVID-19 Changes: Students are to report to their Team before school to engage in academic enrichment/support. Breakfast is to be picked up before going to team.

After School

Students who walk home from school are to leave the school as quickly as possible. Walking students are not to cut through any yards of property adjacent to the school grounds. Students who ride buses are to wait for the bus in the area assigned to them by the teachers on their team. Buses will be called over the intercom as they arrive. Students will already have their books and other belongings and should go directly to the bus as it is called. All car riders will wait for their rides in a designated area at the upper end of the campus. Students cannot be picked up at Brooklyn Springs Elementary School.

GENERAL RULES OF POSITIVE BEHAVIOR CONDUCT & CONSEQUENCES

We have developed and will implement a block system.

Each student will:

1. Respect yourself and others.

2. Follow all directions when given.

3. Be ready to learn with required supplies.

4. Food and drink allowed only in designated areas.

5. Obey all school and district rules

Students can have blocks taken for inappropriate behavior. Consequences for failing to adhere to the student behavior listed above will result in disciplinary action. Below is a list of consequences for inappropriate behavior.

Class Consequences:

3 blocks taken in one class period = automatic parent contact

Grade Level Consequences:

LOSS OF 1 BLOCK = Warning

LOSS OF 2 BLOCKS = Parent Contact (PC)

LOSS OF 3 BLOCKS = 1 Lunch Detention (LD)

LOSS OF 4 BLOCKS = 1 Team Time Detention (TT)

LOSS OF 5 BLOCKS = Afterschool Detention & Parent Contact (D/PC)

LOSS OF 6 BLOCKS =

LOSS OF 7 BLOCKS = Parent Contact (PC)

LOSS OF 8 BLOCKS = Office Referral (OR)

*Lunch Detention & Team Time Detention will be monitored by teachers.

***SEVERE DISRUPTION = IMMEDIATE REMOVAL FROM THE CLASSROOM.

Administrative Consequences:

1st block referral = 1 day of ISS/Parent Conference

2nd block referral = 1 day ISS

3rd block referral = 2 days of ISS

4th block referral = 1 day OSS

5th block referral = 3 days OSS

6 or more block referral = Administrative Decision

GRADING SYSTEM

Grading Scale

All levels are graded according to the same grading scale. There is, however, a difference in the degree of difficulty according to the level of the course.

A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C=70-79 D = 60-69 F = Below 60

Parents may view their student’s information by logging into PowerSchool Parent Portal website.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

In the event of unusual weather conditions or special emergency, students will be notified by area media and a ConnectEd call. Please notify the school office if your phone number changes.

INSURANCE

The insurance company and plan used by the schools is selected by the County Board of Trustees.

Student insurance is available for all students at a nominal rate for coverage during the school day or for a twenty-four hour period.

LOCKERS

The following regulations apply to the use of lockers:

The teachers on each team will discuss the rules for locker use with students.
Students are to use only the locker assigned to them.
Lockers are to be kept reasonably neat and organized.

MEDICINE

Over-the-counter medications must be supplied for each individual student by the parent, secured in the nurse’s office, and logged in when given to each student.

PERMISSION TO PHOTOGRAPH

The school has the permission of the parent or guardian to use photographs of students for publishing unless the parent contacts the school at the first of the year to state otherwise.

SEARCHES AND SEIZURES

Desks and lockers are public property and are loaned by school officials to students for use. School authorities make reasonable regulations regarding their use. Students have the right to privacy in their lockers and desks; however, inspections can take place should a school official have reasonable cause to believe that prohibited articles are kept there. Any student may be searched without a warrant with reasonable cause. Students’ lockers can be searched without a warrant in any event where school officials have received reliable information.

STEPS TO FOLLOW WHEN A STUDENT IS ABSENT FROM SCHOOL

In the event a student is aware that he/she will be absent from school, every effort should be made to complete all work before returning to school. Parents wishing to get assignments for an absent student should call the school office during the morning. Students should bring a note from their parents or a doctor's excuse upon returning to school following the absence.

STUDENT HANDBOOK AND LEARNING NEWSLETTER

South Middle School students and their parents or guardians should read both of these publications.

TECHNOLOGY EXPECTATIONS

1. Chromebooks must be carried in appropriate bag at all times.

2. Students will lose Chromebook privileges for two weeks if they are used inappropriately.

3. Students who break Chromebooks will not be allowed a Chromebook for the remainder of the school year or until a replacement has been paid for.