Berkeley High School Policies
For the year 2005-2006

Student ID Cards

A student I.D. card is issued to each student at the beginning of the academic year. Students must carry their I.D. card at all times while on campus. I.D. cards are required for admittance to school functions, as well as for all college testing. Replacement cards can be obtained only during lunch and after school in the Counseling Center, D141. Replacement cards cost $5.

Lockers

During the first weeks of school, the Daily Bulletin, read daily in 2nd period classes and posted in the Parent Resource Center and in the library, provides information about how to get lockers. Students will get lockers from the Dean of Students’ office, H104.

Reports Cards and Grading Periods

There are four 9-week grading periods per academic year at BHS, two during the fall semester and two during the spring semester. Report cards are sent home after each grading period. A progress report giving a rough estimate of the students’ grades is issued between the 4th and 5th week of each grading period. Report cards and progress reports will be mailed approximately one week after the end of each evaluation period. Call the Record Center, 644-4577, for information. See BHS calendar, page 3a, for end dates of grading periods.

Transcripts

Come to the Registrar at D173 or call 644-6829 to request an official transcript of the courses and grades for a student. Student requests for, or inquiries about records will be accepted only during the regular lunch period and after school until 3:45 p.m. Allow 5 working days from the time the request is made for the processing of official records. If official records are required, a parent’s consent (signature) is necessary if the student is under 18 years. Unofficial transcripts may be requested from counselors or from Ms. Harris in the College & Career Center, D-221.

Absence Policy

Absences can be cleared by a parent/guardian by calling the Attendance Office, 644-6209, 24 hours/day or with a note from home. Phone-ins are encouraged. Students must obtain a clearance slip from the Attendance Office after they have returned to school. You must have a cleared absence to get credit for make-up work. Absences cannot be cleared after 5 days. See your counselor for a planned absence of 5 days or more.

When calling or when writing notes, the parent/guardian should provide the following information:
The student’s full name (no nicknames, please)
Dates of full day absences, or dates and periods of partial day absences
Reason for absence
Name, relationship to student, and daytime telephone number
Parent/guardian signature must be on note.

Attendance Office Hours D134
The Attendance Office will clear absences and provide clearance slips for students only during the time periods listed below:

• 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
• 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. (for 12th graders with no 1st period)
• 11:30 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. (lunchtime)
• 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

The Attendance Office will not clear absences or provide slips for students during class time.

Permission to Leave Campus

Berkeley High School is a closed campus except for lunchtime. If students must leave campus for a portion of the school day, they must bring a note from home (see information required above) to present to their teacher in order to leave class. On their return to campus, either the same day or the next, students must present the note to the Attendance Office to obtain a clearance slip. A doctor’s note stating the date, beginning, and ending time of the appointment can also be used to obtain a clearance slip.

(There is some confusion over how students should leave for appointments in the middle of the school day. Parents and guardians do not have to come to the Front Desk to let us know their student is leaving. The student should simply leave between classes or let their teacher know before class that they will be leaving in the middle of the period.

Returning to school is a two-step process. Before a student returns to school parents/guardians must call the Attendance Office (644-6209) to clear the absence. Their call will generate a clearance slip which students pick up at the Attendance Office and then show to their teacher whose classes were missed. If this two step procedure is not followed the student will receive an uncleared absence. )

Attendance and Grade Reduction Procedure

If a student accumulates 5 unexcused absences during one report card period (9 weeks), his/her grade is lowered by one full grade (e.g., from an A to a B; from a B+ to a C+). (3 tardies are the equivalent of one unexcused absence.) If a student accumulates 10 unexcused absences during one report period, his/her grade is lowered by an additional grade (using the examples above: from a B to a C; from a C+ to a D+). The student starts fresh each report card period. Please note that the lowest grade that a student may receive because of attendance is a C-.

• Tardy: a student is tardy if he/she is not in the classroom when the bell rings, unless the student enters with a pass.
• Absent: a student is absent if he/she is not in the classroom after 20 minutes of the period have passed, unless the student enters with a pass.
• Unexcused absence: an unexcused absence occurs when a student is absent and does not get a clearance slip from the Attendance Office within 3 days.
• Accumulation of tardies: 3 tardies are the equivalent of one unexcused absence.
• Appeals: a student or parent/guardian may appeal a grade reduction by written letter to an assistant principal. Within 30 days of the written appeal, the assistant principal shall convene a committee, comprised of the assistant principal and 2 BHS classroom teachers, in order to determine a judgment on the appeal. The committee shall sustain or deny the appeal, and its decision shall be final.

Lost and Found

The Lost & Found is in the Parent Resource Center D148. Lunch period is a good time for students to check for lost items. Many items are turned in, but it sometimes takes several days for an item to show up, so keep checking.

Incident Reporting

Learning in a safe and peaceful school is the right of every student. If you are the target of intimidation, threats, theft, violence, muggings or sexual harassment, we encourage you to report these incidents by filling out an INCIDENT REPORT FORM available at the administration reception desk and/or by contacting a Safety Officer, Dean or Principal. If you are a witness to an incident or have information relating to an incident, you can report it confidentially to Vice Principal denise brown, at 644-6192.

Berkeley High School Honor Code

I agree to do my own work. I understand that learning sometimes involves group work, and at these times I will contribute fairly to this process. However, when an assignment is made that clearly seeks my individual effort, I promise to give credit to the original author of any written material that I copy and to turn in work that only I have prepared.

Consequences for cheating on the honor code
Cheating on Exams:

• 0 (F) on test, quiz, or final. (This grade will be permanent, in that no bonus exam, extra credit or drop grade will be allowed to replace this grade.)
• Teacher will confer with student and call home; referral will be made to vice principal.

  · First referral results in a one-day suspension
  · Second referral results in a three-day suspension
  · Third referral results in a five-day suspension

Plagiarism: Plagiarism on essays, term papers, labs or other written assignments where individual effort is being assessed has the same consequences as above.

Stolen Exams:
Referral will be made to vice principal
Five-day suspension
0 (F) on test

Berkeley High School Testing Days

Each department has an assigned day, and an alternate day, for giving tests. During the 2005 - 2006 school year they are:

BUSD Sexual Harassment Policy (excerpts)

I. Policy: It is the policy of the Berkeley Unified School District to provide an educational, employment and business environment free of unwelcome advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct or communications constituting sexual harassment, as defined and otherwise prohibited by state and federal law.
II. Definition of Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment occurs when unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature:

1. are made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s educational status or employment;
2. are used as a basis for educational or employment decisions affecting such individual;
3. have the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an indi­vidual’s education or work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational or working environment;
4. are used as a basis for any decision affecting the individual regarding benefits and services, honors, programs, or activities available at or through the educational institution.

For more information, contact the school administration or a counselor.