Lincoln Community SchoolSecondary School

Student/Parent Handbook“Reflect upon the Learner Profile”

LCS SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE TEAMHead of School Dennis LarkinSecondary School Principal Geoff SmithSecondary School Assistant Principal / IB Di-ploma Program Coordinator (IBDP)

Gary Craggs

Middle School Coordinator Ken RoyMiddle Years Program Coordinator (MYP) Carolyn ParkerElementary School Principal Julie OlsonElemetary School Assistant Principal / Pri-mary Years Program Coordinatior (PYP) Director of Advancement Cynthia Davis HallDirector of Educational Programs Rebecca CaudillAthletics & Activities Coordinator Dawne KabaCreativity, Action, Service Coordinator Eric BoatengAssistant to the Head of School Josiane GavehSecondary School Principal’s Asst. Judith AmuahDirector of Educational Program’s Asst. Thomas Acquah High School Counselor (College) Heather Duffy-StoneSchool Counselor 6-10 Bertha KnoxAssistant to the Counselors Susanna Bansah

LINCOLN SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORTDirector Business & Financial Services Emmanuel AppiahHR & Community Relations Coordinator Louisa Mensah-BaahHR Assistant Samira SalisuFinance Officer Emelia OwareFinance Officer Albert Osei-MensahFacilities and Security Manager Wisdom AttipoeFacilities Assistant Andrew MensahNurse Mercy VanderpuijeNurse Noemi LokkoNurse Assistant Gloria BaiezieReceptionist Mabel AmarteifioAdmissions Officer Seth Odei-DansoIT DirectorNetwork/Systems Manager

Moses Gaveh

Systems Admin Assistant/Webmaster Samuel PeasahSystems /Computer Technician David EshunIT Services Assistant Henry AbbeyIT/AV Technician Daniel Nii Ayitey

LCS Secondary School Daily ScheduleModified June 2012

Mon,Tue,Thu,Fri Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

8:00 – 9:25 A E B F

9:40 – 11:00 B F A E

LUNCH & DEAR

11:00-11:40 HS Lunch11:45-12:05 HS DEAR

11:00-11:20 MS DEAR11:20-12:05 MS Lunch

12:15 – 1:35 C G D H

1:50 – 3:10 D H C G

Wednesday Assembly Schedule

8:00 – 8:50 Advisory/Assembly

8:55 – 9:45 1

9:50 – 10:40 2

10:45 - 11:35 3

11:40 - 12:15 LUNCH

12:20 - 3:10 4

LCS Vision Statement

By 2015, the Lincoln Community School will be recognized as a leading international school in Africa by providing a rich cultural and social learning environment for families who seek an exemplary American/Interna-tional Baccalaureate educational program. LCS students will be innovative, resilient individuals who take initia-tive, collaborate effectively, and contribute meaningfully to society. LCS students will demonstrate integrity in their actions, creativity and zest in their learning, joy in their endeavors. LCS will accomplish this vision by providing:

• Academic programs that embody the I.B. standards and learner profile, allow student choice, foster natural curiosity, enable students to excel, and promote life-long learning.

• Extracurricular programs that embrace appreciation for and participation in the arts, personal fitness and a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle.

• Curricular and extracurricular opportunities that maximize the benefits of living and learning in Ghana and Africa.

• Service learning opportunities that develop self awareness and social responsibility in our students so they can make positive contributions to their world.

• Mutually beneficial partnerships with Ghanaian institutions, social service organizations and the corporate community.

• Experiences with technology that promote continued learning, enhance communication, and foster innova-tion in practice.

• A safe, secure and fun learning environment that promotes personal fulfillment and joy.

• Professional development opportunities that foster recruitment and retention of well-qualified staff who are committed to continued learning and find fulfillment in their work.

• A purpose-built campus that reflects the local culture, utilizes green technology, and models sustainable environmental practices.

• Sound fiscal planning that provides financial stability for the present and the future.

The Pillars of Honor

Honesty• Exercisingdailycommitmenttotruthfulthoughtsandactions.• Bringinghonortooneselfbyactingandspeakingtruthfullyand

sincerely.• Makingadailycommitmenttotruthfulthoughtsandactions

Trust• Havingfaiththatotherswillactinaforthrightmanner.• Relyingupontheintegrity,ability,andcharacterofotherstobuild

andsupportcommunity.• Buildingamutualrelationshipbetweenstudentsandfacultythat

enhancesthelearningcommunity.

Fairness• Ensuringthatindividualsdonottakeadvantageofothers.• EnsuringthatallmembersoftheLCScommunityaretreated

equally,haveequalopportunities,andarefreefrominjusticescausedbyanyformofdishonesty.

Respect:• Embracingtheviewsandvaluesofothers.• SupportingtherightsofotherswithintheLCScommunity• Believingintolerance

Responsibility• Understandingtheimpactof,andacceptingownershipfor,one’s

work,deeds,words,andactions.• Makingthecommitmenttodoingyourbest.• Takingactionagainstwrongdoing,despitepeerpressure,fear,

loyalty,orcompassion.

“LCSstudentswillbeinnovative,resilientindividualswhotakeinitiative,collaborateeffectively,andcontributemeaningfullytosociety.LCSstudentswilldemonstrateintegrityintheiractions,creativityandzestintheirlearning,joyintheirendeavors.” --FromtheLCSVisionStatement

The LCS Honor CodeTheLCShonorcodeisthecommitmenttobeinghonestandresponsibleinallacademicactivitiesandpersonalinteractionswithintheschoolcom-munity.ItisaspiringtolivetheIBLearnerProfilecharacteristicsofbeingprincipledandresponsible.LCSiscommittedtoensuringanatmosphereinwhichhonestyandhardworkprevailandallstudentsdevelopintegrity.Withthiscommitmenttointegrity,studentsandfacultymaximizeandachievetheirfullestpotentialintheareasofacademicexcellenceandpersonalcharacter.AllmembersoftheLCScommunitywillupholdtheprovi-sionsoftheLCSHonorCode.

A Philosophy of Integrity at Lincoln Community SchoolLCSisanacademicinstitutiondedicatedtopursuinggrowththroughknowledge.Therigorouspursuitofknowledgeisapursuitofhonestexcel-lence;itmustbeapersonaljourneyspiritedbysincere,committedeffort.Therefore,theLCScommunityrecognizesthecrucialroleofpersonalintegrityinallacademicendeavors.Integritydevelopsandexcellenceisachievedwhenallaccomplishmentsoccurwithinaclimateofhonesty,trust,fairness,respect,andresponsibility.MaintainingthesesharedvaluesistheresponsibilityofeachmemberoftheLCScommunity.

Lincoln Community School Honor Code

Open-Minded Thinkers & Inquirers

ACADEMICS

LCS Honor Code and Academic IntegrityAll endeavors at LCSare guided by ourHonorCode. Operatingwithintegrity is the cornerstone to developing strongminds, character, andvalues.LCSstudentswillunderstandandoperatewithintegrity.

LCS High School Diploma Requirements InordertoreceiveaLCSHighSchoolDiploma,academic‘credits’mustbeearnedthroughclassroomattendanceandcoursework.Thesecreditsmustbeearnedduringgrades9-12.Onecreditisawardedforeachyear(.5creditsawardedpersemester)foraclassthatmeetstheequivalentof3.5hoursaweek.Twenty-sixcreditsarecurrentlyneededtoreceiveanLCSHighSchoolDiploma.Amaximumofeighttransfercreditsareawardedforeachyear.

LCSminimumgraduationcreditrequirementsare:

• 4creditsofEnglish• 4creditsofSocialStudies• 3creditsofSciences• 3creditsofMath• 3creditsofWorldLanguage• 2creditsofPhysicalEducation• 1.5creditsofVisualorPerformingArts• 0.5creditofTechnology

Plusothercoursestototal26credits

Onlinecoursesareavailableinuniquecircumstances.

Studentmustbeenrolledfull-timetoattendLCS.Fulltimeisdefinedasfollows:

Grade 6 - 8 8 classesGrade 9 8 classesGrade 10 8 classesGrade 11 7 classes, minimumGrade 12 6 classes, minimum

Early GraduationEarlygraduationwillonlybepermittedunderexceptionalcircumstances.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Pro-grammeAllstudentsinGrades11and12enrollintheIBDiplomaProgramme;eitherfullyorpartially.TheLCSHighSchoolDiplomaingrades11and12isearnedlargelybytakingthesameIBDPcoursesasthosestudentsworkingtowardsthefullIBDiplomastudents.ThefullIBDiplomahasmoredemandingcourserequirements,suchastheneedforthreeHigherLevelclasses,completionofanExtendedEssayandtheTheoryofKnowledgecourse.TheLCSDiplomaoffersmoreflexibility,butincludesamajorityofIBDiplomacoursesandisthereforestillbothdemandingandvaluable.

Admission Into The IB Diploma ProgrammeIBDPadmissionisbaseduponacombinationofthestudentandparentwishes,academichistoryandteacherrecommendation.Studentsapplyforadmissionintotheprogramandmaybeofferedfull,partialorcondi-tionalplaces,dependingonwhichlevelwillofferthebestcombinationofchallenge,achievementandsuccess.Discussionsaboutenrollmenttakeplaceduringthe2ndsemesterofGrade10betweentheDPCoordinator,parents,andthestudent.

DetailsofthetwodiplomasandcoursedescriptionsareavailableinaProgrammeGuideandontheLCSwebsite.

Middle Years Program (MYP)Studentsingrades6-10participateintheIBMiddleYearsProgramme.TheextensiveMYPProgrammeGuideisavailabletodownloadasa.pdffromtheLCSwebsite.

Report Cards Reportcardsaregiventoallstudentsattheendofeachquarter(approxi-matelyevery9weeks).ReportCardsarenormallydistributedduringthemonthsofOctober,January,March,andJune.

Interim reports from teachersare commonly sent homewhenstudentsarehavingacademicdifficulty.Thesereportsusuallyaskforparentstoacknowledgereceiptviaanoteorsignature.

The LCS and IB Grade SystemLCSdoesnotissue‘percentage’orlettergrades.Allofourgrades(6-12)receivemarks/gradesthatfollowstheIBOsystemof1-7.

Mark Descriptor 7 Exceptional 6 Excellent 5 Good/AtStandard 4 Satisfactory 3 ApproachingSatisfactory 2 Poor/failing 1 VeryPoor/failing

Academiccredit(Grades9-12)isearnedforclasseswithapassinggradeof‘3’orhigher.1creditforafullyearcourse,.5creditforahalfyear(1semester)course.

Honor Roll and Student RecognitionMembershipinthe“HonorRoll”isawaythatstudentacademicachievementisrecognized.HonorRollsaregeneratedeachtimethatsemestergradesaredistributedinReportCards.HonorRollmembersmusthaveearnedanaverageof“5.75”(usingIBCriteria-BasedAssessments)withnoassess-mentbelowa“4”.HighHonorRollmembersmusthaveearnedanaverageof“6.0”withnoassessmentbelowa“4”.

Academic InterventionStudentswhoreceive‘failinggrades’attheendofasemesterwillbecomeinvolvedinprogramsdesignedtoassistandalertthemtothepossibleoutcomesofcontinuedpooracademicperformance.Studentswithmorethantwo“3”’sorone“2”willbeplacedonacademicprobation.Academicprobationresultsineligibilityconsequencesnotedlaterinthehandbook.

Creativity, Action, and Service - a commitment to balanceLCSiscommittedtodevelopingwell-roundedstudentswithstrongacademicsandabroadrangeofextra-curricularinterests,skillsandcommit-ments.Creativity,Action,Service(CAS)isintegraltoboththeIBDiplomaandtheLCSDiploma.Studentsshouldlearnfromexperiencesinthreekeyareas:creativearts,physicalexertionandunpaidvoluntaryservice.Studentsarerequiredtofulfillaminimumnumberofhoursthroughoutsecondaryschool,andtoproduceincreasinglyinsightfulwrittenreflectionsontheirlearningexperiences.BothhoursandreflectionsarerecordedandmonitoredintheHighSchool(grade9-11)usinganonlineresource;ManageBac.LCSrequiredhoursare:

Grade Creativity Action Service Total12 25 25 25 7511 25 25 25 7510 15 15 15 459 15 15 15 458 * * * 157 * * * 156 * * * 15

Counseling and Support Services at LCS

AcademicsupportisavailablethroughourLearningSupportandLanguageSupportservices.OurApproachestoLearning(ATL)courseisanoptionforstudentswithdiagnosedlearningissuesandwhoneedspecificaccommodations.Weservestudentswithmildlearningdis-abilities.LCSdoesnotacceptstudentswhocannotbeservedbytheacademiccurriculumandlearningsupportweprovide.

OurlangauagesupportisofferedthroughourEnglishasanAdditionalLanguage(EAL)program.LCSacceptsstudentswithvariousEnglishlanguageabilitiesthough“beginning”EALstudentsareacceptedupthroughGrade6.Ittakesupto6yearstodevelophighfunctioningaca-demiclanguagecapacityforbeginningELLs(EnglishLanguageLearn-ers).Therefore,itisnotinthechild’sbestinteresttobeginstudyinginEnglishstartingfromGrade7andbeyond.Accessingthecurriculumcanbecomeanexcessiveanddetrimentalchallenge.

Supportisprovidedforlearningissuesandlanguageissuesthroughacombinationofin-classsupportwhereateacherorteacher’sassistantisprovidingsidebysidesupportand/orthroughoutofclasssupportinthe

formofanATLclassoranEAP(EnglishforAcademicPurposes)class.Weofferflexiblesupportdependingupneeds.DetailsareavailableinourEAPandATLprogramguides.

TheSecondarySchoolemploystwoschoolcounselors.OurcollegecounselorworksprimarilywithstudentsinGrade11and12.Individualandgroupsupportanddirectionisprovidedfortheimportantcollegesearchprocess.OurothercounselorworksprimarilywithGrades6-10.Thiscounselorprovidessupportforstudentsdealingwitharangeofissuesfromsocialandfriendshiptoacademictochallengingbehavioralissues.Inaddition,thecounselorprovidesin-classsupportforvariousgradelevelswhereneeded.

Studentsandparentsshouldutilizeourcounselingserviceswhenneeded.

DISCIPLINECODEThechiefaimoftheDisciplinaryCodeistoclearlyarticulateacceptablestandardsofbehavior in theSecondarySchoolofLCSso thatparentsandstudentsalikeknow,and thereforecanaccept, the responsibilitiesofbeingamemberoftheschoolcommunity.Thecodealsodefinesthedisciplinaryconsequencesofastudent’sfailuretoadheretotheschool’scodeofconduct.Itishopedthatthecodewillencouragepositivebehav-iorandnotbeviewedsimplyasalistofprohibitedacts.

IfthereisanallegedviolationoftheDisciplinaryCode,teachersandad-ministratorswillmakereasonableeffortstotreatthematterconfidentially.Staff members will only disclose information to those directly involvedand/or thosewhoneed tobeadvised toenforcedisciplinarymeasuresand/or to prevent future violations. Confidentiality will ensure that thestudentisencouragedtoimprovehis/herbehaviorandisnotsubjecttopublicridicule.

Schoolauthoritieshavetherighttointervenewithconsequencesforanybehaviorthatintheirjudgmentimpairsapositiveschoolclimateandanoptimumlearningenvironment.Consequencesnormallyfall intothefol-lowingcategories:

a. Teacherapplieddisciplineb. Writtenessaysreflectingontheeventc. Verbalorwrittenapologiesd. ‘LunchDetention’orotherrestrictionse. Assignedafterschooldetentionforoneormultipledaysf. Assignmentof“restorativejustice”(to‘right’a‘wrong’)g. RequiredparticipationinaPeerMediationsessionh. Inschoolsuspension-removalfromclassesfortheday,andallwork

requiredtobecompleted-nolossofcrediti. Outofschoolsuspension—removalfromschoolforasetperiodof

timewithlossofgrades(i.e.,‘zeros’)duringthattimej. RecommendationforExpulsion—removalfromschoolpermanently

Studentsnormallyreceivealettertotakehometoparentswhenasignifi-cantdisciplinaryconsequenceisassigned. It isthestudent’srespon-sibilitytogivetheparenttheletterandexplaintheconsequence.Lackofparental receiptof the letterdoesnot removeresponsibility fromthestudent to complywith the consequence. Phone contact ismadewithparentsfollowingsignficantdisciplinaryevents.

The following disciplinary code serves as a general guide and appliestobothon-campusandoff-campusschoolsponsoredactivities.Conse-quencesarelistedinorderofrecommendedstepstobetaken.Adminis-tratorsreservetherighttoassignmorestrenuousconsequencesformoreseriousviolationsofthecode

CATEGORYI:Disrespect/InsubordinationRESPECT:Toshowacceptance,regard,andcourtesytowardothersir-respectiveofbackground,includingrace,religion,nationality,gender,ageandpersonalcircumstance.

DISRESPECT/INSUBORDINATION: To engage in behavior that doesnotconstituterespectfulconduct.Disrespectful behavior includes cursing, swearing or the use of vulgarlanguageorgestures;failuretoobeydirectionofstaff;actsorwordscal-culated to exhibit disdain, engender hatred, or a lack of regard of therightsorfeelingsofothersortheauthorityofstaff;lackofsportsmanship;and/orinappropriatehandlingortreatmentofthepropertyofanotherorthatoftheSchool.Upontheoccurrenceofanyactofdisrespectorinsubordination,thestu-dentshallgiveasincereapologyandthefollowingactionshouldbetaken.

1stOccurrence:1. Teacher and student discuss, in private, the student’s behavior,

emphasizingthedifferencebetweenacceptablebehaviorandunac-ceptablebehaviororlanguage.Parent(s)notified.

2. Studentshallwriteashortessay,accordingtoteacher’sinstructions,andsubmittheessaytotheteacher;and

3. Studentwarnedoftheconsequencesofrepeatedbehavior.

SubsequentOccurrences:Dependingonthenumberandseverityoftheoffense(s),oneorallofthefollowingmeasurescanbetaken:

1. If the student’s offending behavior stems fromsocial and/or emo-tional issues, the studentwill be referred to theSchoolGuidanceCounselorconcerningtheoffendingbehavior.Parent(s)notified.

2. Theprivilege(s)ofparticipatinginextracurricularactivities,classorgroup trips,specialevents (suchasdances, talentshows,etc.) isdeniedforaspecificperiodoftime.

3. Parent/Student/Teacher/PrincipalConference.4. In-schooland/oroutofschoolSuspensionand/orExpulsion.

CATEGORYII:InappropriateShowofAffectionWhilestudentsmayexpressaffectionbyhuggingorkissingfriendsupongreeting,studentsmust recognize thatcertainexpressionsofaffection,particularly of a romantic or sexual nature, are inappropriate while atSchoolorduringSchoolactivities.Studentsarerequiredtorefrainfromromantickissing,fondling,petting,and/orsexual/sexualizedcontact.

1stOccurrence:1. Staff member and students discuss the behavior, noting why the

seenbehaviorwasunacceptable.Thismeetingtobedocumented.Parent(s)notified.

2. MatterreferredtothePrincipalwithdocumentation.

Principled & Reflective Risk Takers

OtherOccurrences:1. IncidentreferredtothePrincipal.Parentconferenceheld.2. Ifappropriate,studentreferredtotheSchoolGuidanceCounselor.3. Suspensionatthediscretionoftheprincipal.

CATEGORYIII:PhysicalAbusePhysicalabuse(i.e.,hitting,striking,kicking,aggressiveshovingorpush-ing,fighting,etc.)byanystudentisnottolerated.Intheeventphysicalabuseoccurs:

1stOccurrence:1. Adisciplinary referral includingdocumentationwillbemade to the

Principal.Theeventwillbeinvestigated.Parentcontactmadefol-lowedbyameetingwiththePrincipal.

2. Studentwillformallyapologizetothepersonwhowasabused.3. Iffirstoffenseisofaseriousnature,afterschooldetentionsorsus-

pensionmaybeappliedatthediscretionofthePrincipal.

2ndOccurrence:ArepeatofthisbehaviormayresultinanextendedSuspensionorExpulsionatthediscretionofthePrincipal.

CATEGORYIV:DishonestyPleaserefertotheLCSHonorCode.Dishonestyincludesacademicdis-honesty,cheating,copying,permittingotherstocopyyourwork,andpla-giarismto includecomputer-basedplagiarism(i.e., ‘cuttingandpasting’otherswork intoastudent’sacademicproductwithoutfullcitation), fail-ingtocitereferencesinacademicwork,andlyinginresponsetoastaffmemberinquiry.Dishonestyduringthecourseofaninvestigationofanydisciplinaryoffenseisitselfanoffense.

1stOccurrence:1. Discussion with student, teacher, administrator, parents. Conse-

quencesvarydependinguponseverityofdishonesty

OtherOccurrences:1. Nocreditgivenforwork2. Parent/Student/Teacher/Principal/Conference.3. IBDPstudentsfacepossibleremovalfromprogram.4. SuspensionatthediscretionofthePrincipal.5. Continuedincidentsofacademicdishonestymayresultinarecom-

mendationforexpulsiontotheHeadofSchool

CATEGORYV:TheftandVandalismStealingordeprivinganotheroftheirpropertyisnotacceptablebehavioratLCS.Stealingorintentionallydefacingordamagingschoolorpersonalproperty,(i.e.,vandalizing)causesownerstoexpendeffortandmoneytoreplaceorrepairthedamageand,assuch,deprivesthemoftheir timeandmoney.

1stOccurrence:1. Student/Teacher/StaffmemberimmediatelyreportsincidenttoPrin-

cipalandSecurityCoordinator. Principal investigatesthe incident,andfollowsLCStheftprotocol.Parent(s)notified.

2. Student warned of consequences of repeated behavior. Studentwritesanessay,tobesignedbyparent,ontheinappropriatenessofsuchbehaviorandwhathe/sheintendstodotorectifyit.

3. Restitutionmustbemadetotheschoolortheindividual.4. Suspensionfromschool-dependinguponseverity.

2ndOccurrence: A repeatof thisbehaviormay result inSuspensionorExpulsion.

Note:“Hacking”theschool’scomputersisconsideredvandalismandre-sultsinimmediateSuspension.

CATEGORYVI:ControlledSubstanceAbuse,PossessionofDrugs,AlcoholorTobaccoStudentsshallnotunlawfullymanufacture,distribute,dispense,possess,oruseillicitdrugs,controlledsubstances,tobacco,oralcoholicbeveragesonschoolpropertyoratanyschoolactivityheldanywhereelse.Thisruleappliescontinuously fromthestart to theendofanyschoolsponsoredevent including trips away from campus, and extended school events.Compliancewiththispolicyismandatory.Studentsdiscoveredviolatingthispolicywillfacethefollowingconsequences:

Tobacco1stOccurrence:1. ParentsareinformedandaconferenceheldwiththePrincipal.2. Onedayoutofschoolsuspension3. AdditionalprivilegescanbedeniedatthediscretionofthePrincipal

NextOccurrence:ArepeatofthisbehaviorwillresultinextendeddaysofsuspensionorExpulsion.

Alcohol1stOccurrence:1. ParentsareinformedandconferencewiththePrincipal.2. Suspensionfromschoolfornotlessthantwodays.3. AdditionalprivilegescanbedeniedatthediscretionofthePrincipal.

NextOccurrence:ArepeatofthisbehaviorwillresultinextendeddaysofsuspensionorExpulsion.

PossessionorUseofIllegalSubstancesorDrugsAnyOccurrence:InitiationofExpulsionproceedings.

*Reference:LCSBoardPolicyofAlcohol,Tobacco,andSubstanceAbuse-Adopted31March2005

Inrecognitionofthehealthrisksassociatedwithconsumptionofalcohol,tobaccoanddrugsbychildrenandadolescents,LCSwill

· educatestudentsandparentsabouttheserisks;· maintainastrongparent-schoolpartnershipinaddressingissuesas

theyarise,onbothanindividualandcommunitylevel;· implementasupportprogramforstudentswhovoluntarily,proac-

tivelyadmitadrugproblemtoacounselor,administratororteacher;· maintainandupholdschoolrulesthatprovideserioussanctionsfor

studentsconsumingorpossessingalcohol,tobacco,orillegal*orpotentiallyharmfulsubstancesatanyschool-relatedactivity;and

· ensurethattheschool’sreputationinthelargercommunity,asahealthy,safeandwholesomeenvironmentforchildrenandado-lescents,isnotaffectedbyincidentsofalcoholordrugabuse,orperceptionsofadrugproblemattheschool.

*”Illegal”substancesincludealldrugsthatareillegalinGhana

CATEGORYVII:WEAPONSA student shall not knowingly possess, handle or transmit any objectthatcanreasonablybeconsideredaweaponorafirearmontheschoolgroundsorofftheschoolgroundsataschoolactivity,functionorevent.

Thisprotocolshallincludeanyweapon,anyitembeingusedasaweaponoradestructivedevice,oranyfacsimileofaweapon(i.e.;anyfakeweap-onortoythatanuntrainedpersonmightmistakeforarealweapon).Asusedinthishandbook,theterm“firearm”meansanyweapon(includinga“startergun”)whichwillorisdesignedtoormayreadilybeconvertedtoexpelaprojectilebytheactionofanexplosive.

AnyOccurrence:Possessionofanyoftheweaponsdescribedaboveorafacsim-ileshallresultinimmediateinitiationofExpulsionproceedings.

CATEGORYVIII:“BULLYING””Bullying” isdefinedas repeated, intentional,negativeormaliciousbe-havioronthepartofoneoragroupofstudentsthatisdirectedatanotherstudentorgroupofstudentswhoareperceivedtobeunableto‘defend’themselves.Bullyingtakesplacewhenthereisaperceiveddifferencein‘power’betweenthebullyandthetargetofthebullyingbehavior.“Cyberbullying”isalsoincludedinthisdescriptionofbullying.Bullyingmay be physical, verbal, sexual, or behavioral in nature. Ex-amplesofbullyingbehavior includebutarenot limited to: sayinghurt-ful things; ‘making fun;’ shunning or systematically isolating; spreadingrumors, sexual/racial/lifestyle-choice harassment, and other verbal orphysicalharassment.

1stOccurrence:1. Parentnotified.

2. Studentapologizestopersonbullied.3. Depending on the nature of the incident – various consequences

maybeapplied including: suspension, removal fromclass,parentmeeting,lossofprivileges

4. Requiredcounselorvisits

2ndOccurrence:1. Parentmeetingconducted.2. Studentapologizestopersonbullied.3. MultipledaysofoutofschoolSuspension,dependingonthehistory,

nature, and situation. Other consequences may include removalfromclassandlossofprivileges,.

4. Requiredcounseling

Anyadditionaloccurrencewill result inextendedSuspensionorExpul-sion.

CATEGORYIX:MAKINGTHREATSMakingthreatsdirectedatastudent,staffmember,oragainsttheschoolorschoolcommunityisnotacceptablebehavior.Allverbal,written,elec-tronic threatsor thosedeliveredviaothermediawill receive immediateadministratorattentionwhentheybecomeknown.Examplesofthreaten-ingbehavior includebutarenot limited to: tellingsomeone thatyouorothersaregoingto“harmtheminanyway”ormoreworryingcomments,behavinginsuchawaytowardanotherthatareasonablestudentwouldfearfortheirsafety,makingthreats(byanymedium)towardtheschoolorgroupswithintheschoolcommunity,bombthreatsorotherthreatsagainststudent,stafforschoolsafety.

1stOccurrence:1. Parentmeeting.3. Depending on the nature of the incident –in-school and/or out of

schoolsuspensionassigned. Possilbe recommendation forexpul-sion

4. Requiredcounseling

2ndOccurrence:1. Parentmeeting.3. Immediateremovalfromschool.Multipledaysofoutofschoolsus-

pension,dependingonthenatureofthethreateningbehavior.Expul-sionproceedingsinitiated

4. Requiredcounseling

AnyadditionaloccurrencewillresultinanextendedSuspensionorExpul-sion.

Studentsmakingbombthreatsagainsttheschoolormembersofitscom-munitywill becharged,according toGhanaian law. Studentswill alsoface immediateExpulsion. Studentswhohelporhaveknowledgeofabombthreatandfailtoreportitmayalsofaceschooldisciplineandlegalcharges.

AcademicIntegrityandTheLCSHonorCode

AtLCS,allsubmittedworkisguidedbytheHonorCode.Thehigheststandardsofhonestymustapplytostudent’sactionsatLCS.Anyactofdishonestyreflectsuponastudentandaffectstheentireschoolcommunity.Astudent’sintegrityisatstakewhethertheyarethepersonwhogivesorreceivestheinformation;bothareactsofdishonesty.Ofutmostconcernisthefactthatifstudentsareuntruetothemselves,thentheydamageoneoftheirmostpreciouspossessions-theircharacter.

AcademicIntegrityViolationsTeachers’expectationsforallworkareclearlystated.Ifastudentisunsureoftherequirementsforanyactivityorassignment,toavoidanAcademicIntegrityviolationoftheHonorCode,he/sheisresponsibleforcheckinghis/herunderstandingwiththeteacher.Itisfundamentallydishonorabletoreceivecreditforworkthatisnottheresultofone’sownefforts.

AcademicIntegrityviolationsinclude,butarenotlimitedto,thefollowingareas:

Cheating:Incopying,astudentistakingtheworkofanother,eitheronhomeworkoronatest,andclaimingitashis/herown.AtLCS,cheatingincludesbutisnotlimitedto:· Copyingandorofferinghomework,inwrittenform,orbyelectronic

means.

· Copyingand/orofferinganswersontestsorquizzesverbally,in

writtenform,orbyelectronicmeans.

· PressuringotherstudentstoviolatetheAcademicCode.

· Bringinginandusingunauthorizedinformationduringclasstime,includinginformationstoredinacalculator.

· Offeringorreceivinginformationundercircumstanceswheninfor-mationisnottobeshared.

· Buyingworkfromanothersourceandsubmittingitasyourown

· Havinganyone,includingparentsortutors,completeassignmentsandsubmittingtheworkasone’sown.

· Presentingcollaborativeworkasindependentworkandindepen-dentworkascollaborative.(Ingroupwork,onepersonshouldnotandwillnotbeartheburdenfortheentiregroupassignment.)

· Copyinganswersfromanswerguidesintexts.

· Fabricatingor“fudging”data,information,orsources.Attemptingtopassoffmadeupmaterialastheresultofgenuineefforts.

Plagiarism:· Theactofplagiarismmayincludedirectcopying,butitmayalso

bemorecomplexthanverbatimrepetition.Astudent,inprepar-ingaprojectforaclass,willhaveplagiarizedifhe/shehastaken

informationfromsourceswithoutcitingwhatsourceswereused.Plagiarizedmaterialmayappearinastudent’spaperasword-for-wordcopying,asummation,oraparaphraseofanother’sideas.Astudenthasplagiarizedwhetherthematerialfromanothersourcehasbeentakeninwholeorinpart.Ineffect,bynotnamingthesource,thestudentisclaimingtheworkofanotherashis/hers.

· Submittingimagesand/ordocumentsinwholeorinpartfromtheInternetwithoutcitationofthesource(s).

· Copyinganother’swork.

· Usinganother’sideaswithoutpropercitations.

· re-writingsomethinginmodifiedform.

· Incorporatingportionsofanother’swritingwithinthecontextofyourownwork.

· Failingtoacknowledgeasourceofinformation.

· Using“unique”phraseswithoutcitations.

· Usinggraphics,charts,diagrams,orillustrationswithoutcitations.

AcademicDishonesty:· Skippingclasstointentionallymissacademicwork

· Lyingaboutwhyanassignmentisnotcomplete(e.g.computerproblems,leftathome).

· Forcingotherstodoworkforyouandtakingthecredit(ingroupassignments,(forexample)

· Physicallyalteringagrade.

· Notreportingcheatingoracademicdishonesty

· Forgingdocumentsand/orsignatures.

· Presentingthesameworktodifferentteacherswithoutteacherpermission.

· Allowingyourworktobecopiedorsubmittedbyanotherstudentforagrade.

· Sabotagingordestroyingtheworkofothers

ConsequencesofViolations

Academicpenaltiesinclude,butarenotlimitedto,oneoracombinationofthefollowing:

· Immediatecommunicationwithparents

· Additionalworktoprovideevidenceofacademicperformance,and/

orevidencethatthestudentknowsandunderstandsthecoursematerial

· Nocreditfortheassignmentorexamination.

· Failinggradefortheassignmentorexamination.

· Failinggradeforthecourse

· BeingwithdrawnasacandidatefromtheIBDPcourseorfulldiplomaprogram

· Contactwithprospectiveuniversity

· Inschooloroutofschoolsuspensionfromschoolforaspecifiedperiodoftime

· Dismissal,anindefiniteseparationfromschool,followedbyproba-tionaryreturn.

Conclusion

Studentsareresponsibleforunderstandingthelanguage,meaning,andactionsaroundAcademicIntegrity.WebelievethatlivingundertheprinciplesoftheHonorCodeandwithfurtherunderstandingofAcademicIntegritywillcontributetothesuccessofallstudentsaswellasdevelop-ingprincipledandethicalindividuals.

SecondarySchoolProcedures

ACTIVITIESandELIGIBILITYStudentsinvolvedinactivitiesofferedatLincolnarerecognizedasofficialrepresentativesoftheschool.Theirconduct,behavior,andsportsman-shiponandofftheschoolpremisesshouldexemplifythehighestpossiblestandards.Studentsmustattendschoolforthefulldaytobeeligibletoattendorparticipateinanyextracurricularevent(ofanysort)onthatday.

GeneralEligibility:Astudentmustholdanoverallaverageof4.0 in theIBCriteriaBasedAssessmentsystem(asdeterminedinthequarterorsemesterbeforeadesiredactivity/athleticteameventtakesplace)andnotfail(i.e.receivea1or2grade)oneclassinthequarterorsemesterbeforetheactivity/sporttakesplacetoparticipateinanyschoolextracurricularactivity.Thisincludestheschoolvarsitysportsprogram,theaterandmusicalproduc-tions,somemajor,overnightCASevents(HFH),MUNandsimilar typeevents.

Eligibilityisrestrictedwhen:· OverallGPAfallsbelowa4.0· Morethantwoscoresof“3”onaquarterorsemesterreportcard· Afailinggrade(2)onaquarterorsemesterreportcard.· DeadlinesfortheMYPPersonalProject,DPExtendedEssay,DP

InternalAssessments,andCAShourrequirementsarenotbeingmet.ThesearemonitoredbytheIBMYP,DP,andCASCoordina-tors.

· Attendanceand/orDisciplinerecordarenotpositive.Thiswillbedeterminedbythesecondaryschoolleadershipteam.

Additionalconditions:· Forsportsonly-Studentsmusthaveaphysicalexaminationonfile

forthecurrentschoolyearstatingthatthestudentishealthyandabletoparticipateinathleticactivities.

(Physicalswillbeconsidered‘outofdate’12completemonthsafterthedateonthephysical.)

ABSENCESStudentsareexpectedtoattendclassesdaily.Studentsshouldbeabsentfromschoolonlyforessentialandimportantreasons,suchasillnessorfamilyemergency.Theschoolseeksco-operationfromparentsinexer-cisingtheutmostdiscretioninexcusingtheirchildrenfromschool.

Ifastudentisabsentforanyreason,heorshemustbringawrittenex-cusetothePrincipal’sOfficethenextday.ThatexcusewillbereviewedinthePrincipal’sOfficetodetermineiftheabsenceisanexcusedorun-excusedabsence.Studentswillbeprovidedare-admittanceformtoshow

teachersuponreturnfromanabsence.Ifawrittenexcuseisnotreceivedwithintwodays,theabsencewillbetreatedasanunexcusedabsence.

In the event of a planned absence during the academic year, parentsareasked torequestpermission inadvance fromthePrincipal. APre-ArrangedAbsence form is available in the Principal’s Office. While astudent’s teacherswillmake every effort to indicatewhat workwill becoveredduringtheperiodofabsence,itisthestudent’sresponsibility(nottheteacher’s)tomakeupthisworkina‘reasonableperiodoftime.’

AbsencesandSemesterIandFinalEXAMINATIONS-LCSdoesnotofferearlyormakeupexaminationsforstudentsleavingschoolearlyfortravelorothernon-emergencyreasons.EarlyexamsmaybeadministeredifafamilyisleavingLCSpermanently.Intheeventofanearlydeparturestudentswillreceiveamarkof“incom-plete”forthatmarkingperiod.Examsmustbemadeupduringthefirstweekuponreturn in the followingmarkingperiod. Writtennoticeofanearlydepartureisrequired.Ifnonoticeisreceivedbytheadministrationpriortoanearlydeparture,amarkof“zero”willbegivenforanymissedexam.Inexceptionalcases,andatthediscretionoftheadministration,earlyexaminationsmaybeadministered.

Wheneverastudentisabsentfromschool,LCSstaffattemptstocallthehomeofthestudenttoverifythatthestudentisillandnotinschool.

Absences, excused or unexcused, are totaled to ascertain compliancewiththeAttendancePolicy.

TARDIES(arrivinglatetoclassorschool)

TardypolicyfordailyarrivaltoschoolStudentsareexpectedtoarrivetoschoolontime.Therecommendedarrivaltimeisnolaterthan7:45am.Ifastudentislatetoschoolforalegitimatereason,theyneedtopresentanotetothesecondaryschoolofficewithin24hours.Aphonecallfromaparentindicatingthereasonforthetardyissufficient.Ifstudentsarelatetoschool,theyareassignedalunchstudyhall.Ittheschoolreceivesnoinformation,thetardywillbeconsideredunexcused.Beyond5tardiespersemesterwillresultinaparentconferenceandadditionalconsequences.

Balanced Communicators & Knowledgeable, Informed Students

ATTENDANCETheschool’sinstructionalprogramisbasedontheassumptionthatstu-dentswillattendschoolregularly.DailyclassattendanceisaconditionforfulfillinghighschoolcreditandIBrequirements,completingcoursework,andgeneralacademicprogressattheschool.Anyabsence,whetherex-cusedorunexcused,detractsfromastudent’sdepthofunderstandingofthemissedsubjectandisrecorded.

ByBoardpolicy,inordertomeetLincolnCommunitySchool’sattendancerequirements,studentsmaynotbeabsentfromclassmorethansixteen(16)daysduringtheschoolyear.AcademiccreditwillnotbegrantedtoGrade9-12studentswithabsencesexceedingmorethaneight(8)dayspersemester.Grade6-8studentswhoexceedthesetotalswillriskpro-motiontothenextgrade.Studentsmissing8sessionsofasingleclass,eventhoughtheymaybepresentforotherclassesthosedays,alsorisklosingcreditforthatpar-ticularclass.Schoolsponsoredorapprovedactivitieswillbeexemptfromthe16-day/8dayrule.

Only in exceptional circumstancesmay thePrincipal grant awaiver tothisattendancerequirement. Extendedsummervacationsorvoluntaryvacationsduringtheschoolyeararenotconsideredexceptionalcircum-stances.Parentalrequestsforwaiversmustbesubmittedinwriting.

Ifastudentisdeniedpromotionorcreditforacourse/sduetoexcessiveabsences,theonlyrecourseistoappealinwritingdirectlytotheHeadofSchoolwhoshalldetermineifextenuatingcircumstancesofanunavoid-ablenatureareinvolved,he/shemaythendecideifawaiverofthispolicyisappropriate.

COMMUNICATIONWITHTHESCHOOLHome-to-schoolcommunicationsareimportant,andvaluedatLCS.Ad-ministratorsoperateonan“opendoor”policyandencourageparentswithquestionsorconcerns tomeetwith thePrincipal. Studentsshouldaskteachersquestionsif theydon’tunderstandsomething.Parentsareen-couragedtospeakdirectlytoteachers(inperson,viae-mail,orbynote/letter)iftheyhaveaquestionoraconcern.If,aftercommunicatingwiththeteacher,theseconcernsarenotaddressedtoparentsatisfaction,par-entsshouldcontacttheSecondarySchooladministration.Ifaparentisnotsatisfiedafterspeakingwith thePrincipal, themattershouldbead-dressedtotheLCSHeadofSchool.

DRESSCODEAsaninternationalandmulti-culturalenvironmentstudentsareexpectedtodemonstratesensitivityforculturaldifferencesthatwillbereflectedintheir appropriate choice of dress for school. In addition, students arerequiredtousediscretionintheirchoiceofclothinganddressmodestly.

WiththeaimsofmaintainingapurposefulenvironmentforlearningandworkontheLCScampusandwithoutdistractionsoffashionorprovocativedress,thefollowingdresscodeappliestoallstudents:

Grades6–12· Shirtsandblouses:

o Sleevelessshirtsareallowed,“lasagna-width”,“threefinger-width”strapsmustcovertheshoulder–notanktops

o Straplessorspaghettistrapsarenotallowedo Mustcoverstomachso Mustcoverchestarea

· Shirtordressmustcoverleggingsandmustextendmorethanoneinchbelowthestudent’sfingertipswhenarmsarehelddownparalleltolegs.

· Excessivelytight“figurehugging”clothingisinappro-priate,toporbottom.

· Clothingmustcoverundergarments(no“sagging”ofpants,noexposedbrastraps)

· Clothingshouldnotbetornorripped· Shirtsandblousesshouldnotdisplaywordingthat

isprofane,displayalcoholordrugexpressionsthatcouldbeconsideredoffensivewithinourmulticulturalcommunity

· Hatsarewornoutdoorsonly· Footweariswornatalltimes· PEstyleclothingisonlyappropriateduringPEclass,

notinclassroomsBeforecomingtoschool,studentsmustlookinthemirror.Consequences:

a. 1sttime-Verbalwarning/discussionWarningandconversa-tion,SportsT-shirtand/orshortsprovidedintheSSoffice

b. 2ndtime-Alternativeclothingbroughtfromhomea. 1stletterhome

c. 3rdtime-Alternativeclothingbroughtfromhomea. 2ndLetterhomeb. Parentmeeting

d. 4thtime-In-schoolsuspension

AlterationstotheDressCode:Allmajordressregulationchangesshallbeestablishedbythead-ministrationinconsultationwiththeStudentRepresentativeCouncilTheschooladministrationisresponsiblefordeterminingwhatisap-propriate.AdoptedMay2010,ModifiedMay2012

ELECTRONICDEVICESMobilephones,cameras,electronicgames,MP3/Ipodsanditemsofthisnaturemaynotbeusedduringclassorinthelibraryunlesspermittedbytheteacher. Moreover,devicesof thissortcantemptthieves.LCSwillnotbeheld liableor responsibleshould theybestolen. Studentswhorepeatedlydisregardtheseguidelineswillhavetheirdevicesconfiscatedandhelduntilparentsretrievethem.

FIREANDEMERGENCYDRILLSStudentsafetyisanoverridingconcernatLCS.Studentsandstaffpe-riodically practice how to quickly evacuate the buildings on campus incaseofanemergency.Studentsmayalsopracticeevacuatingthecam-pusandmovingtonearby‘safehavens.’Allteacherswillpostamapforemergencydrilldescriptionsandroutestoassemblyareasintheirclass-rooms. Emergencyevacuationof theclassroomwillbedesignatedbythecontinuousringof thesirens/bellsorbyanannouncementovertheschool’sPAsystem. Studentsare required tobehave responsiblyandimmediately respond to teacher instructions during drills. Teacherswillleadtheirclassestosafety,takeattendance,remainwiththeirstudents,andawait further instructions. Ifcampusmustbeevacuatedduetoanactualemergency,parentswillbenotifiedbyphoneanddirectedwheretopick-uptheirstudents.

LEAVINGCAMPUSStudentsarenotallowed to leavecampusduringschoolhours foranyreasonwithouttheknowledgeandpermissionofthePrincipal.Permis-siontoleaveschoolwillbegranteduponafterreceivingdirectcommuni-cationfromparents.Asparentshaveanexpectationofsupervisionwhentheirstudentsareoncampus,studentswhodepartcampusafterclasseshaveendedwillnotbepermittedtoreturnfor‘pick-up’oranyotherreasonwithoutPrincipalpermission.Schoolguardpersonnelwillbedirectedtodenyreadmissiontostudentswhohavedeparted.(Studentsinvolvedinschool-sponsoredactivitieslaterinthedaywillbereadmitted.)Insubor-dinationexpressed towards school guardpersonnelwill be consideredinthesamemannerasifitweredirectedtowardsanLCSstaffmember.

LOCKERSStudentsareallassignedlockablepersonallockers.Locksmustbepro-videdbystudentseachyear. Theftoncampusoccurs.Studentsmusttakecareof theirvaluablesandutilize lockers tosecure theirpersonalitems.

LocksforphysicaleducationwillbeprovidedbyLCS,andareexpectedtobeusedany timea student hasPEor is using the changing room.Lostlockswillbetreatedlikealosttextbook,andmustbepaidforbythestudent.

LOST&FOUNDTofacilitatethereturnofmisplacedand‘lost’items,studentsshould:1. Placetheirnamesinall textbooks,billfolds,wearingapparel,elec-

tronicdevices,andpersonalitemstheybringtoschool.2. Bringonlynecessarypossessionstoschool;leaveunneeded/expen-

siveitemsathome.3. Take care of all books and possessions. (Studentsmust pay for

booksthatarelostordamagedbeyondnormalwear.)4. ReportlostorfounditemsimmediatelytotheSSoffice.5. Fileastolenitemreportifyoubelieveanitemhasbeenstolen(forms

areintheSSoffice)

AlostandfoundcupboardislocatedinthePrincipal’sOffice.Itemsnotclaimed will be periodically donated to a local orphanage. Nomatterwhere stored, LincolnCommunitySchool is not responsible for lost orstolenarticles.

LUNCHHotlunchescanbepurchasedinschoolatlunchtime.Theschoolprovidessafedrinkingwaterforstudents. LCSStaffmonitor lunchareas. Stu-dentsarenotallowedtoleavetheschoolcampusduringlunchperiods,norshouldfoodfromhomebedeliveredduringtheschoolday.Deliveriesfrom take out restaurants areNOT allowed. Students are expected toleavetheirareacleanandplacetrashinthetrashcontainersandreturndishestothecanteen.

MAKE-UPWORKParentsmayrequestmakeupworkwhenstudentsareabsent formorethanoneday. It is thestudent’s responsibility toobtainmakeupwork.Requestsforassignmentsmaybemadebycallingthesecondaryschoolofficebefore9:00a.m.Assignmentsmaybepickedupbetween3:15pmand4:00p.m.atthePrincipal’sOffice.

Followinganexcusedabsence,astudentisentitledtofullacademicmakeupprivilegeswithnopenalties.For short absences thestudentwill begiventwomakeupdaysforeachdayabsent.Makeuptimeforlongerabsenceswillbedeterminedinareasonablemannersothestudentwillnotbeunnecessarilypenalized.

Teacherswillgiveneededassistanceinmakeupeffortsbutstudentsareultimately responsible to receive, complete, and turn-in assignments.Students with unexcused absences are not allowed to make-up workmissedandwillearnagradeof“zero”formissedwork.

MEDICALCAREANDEMERGENCIESWhenmedicationisnecessaryforastudenttoremaininschool,awrittenorderfromthefamilyphysicianmustaccompanyallmedication, includ-ingaspirin.Directionsfortreatmentmustbeincludedontheprescriptionbottles or written by a doctor. All (even non-prescription)medicationsbroughttoschoolmustbedepositedwiththeschoolnursewhowillad-ministerthem.Parentswillbenotifiedimmediatelyinthecaseofseriousinjuryorillness.Parentsareexpectedtocometoschooltopickuptheirillchildrenasrequestedbytheschoolnurse.

PARENTGUARDIANSHIPANDPARTNERSHIPParentalparticipationintheeducationalprocessoftheirchildisessential.TheSecondarySchoolexpectstobeabletocommunicatewithaparentwhencircumstanceswarrant.Emergencycontactsmustbeprovidedifashort-termparentabsenceoccurs.Werecommendthatlong-termparentabsencesbeavoided.InourexperienceinAccra,leavingachildunsu-pervisedbyanadultfamilymemberisilladvisedandcanbedangerous.ParentsareexpectedtoattendParentConferencesandarewelcometoarrangeasmany‘one-on-one’or largermeetingswithteachersastheybelievenecessary.Parentsareanintegralpartofthestudent’sexperi-enceatLCS.Thereistheexpectationthatparentswillattendparentedu-cationevenings,specialmeetings,andbeactivelyengagedinthedayto

dayeducationoftheirchildren.AdvancednoticemustbegiventotheLCSAdministrationifaguardianshiparrangementisbeingplannedforasig-nificantamountoftime,andparentcontactinformationmustbeprovided.

SCHOOLHOURSLincolnCommunitySchoolcampusandschoolofficesareopenfrom7:30a.m.to4:30p.m.daily,MondaythroughFriday.Duringthesehours,par-entsmayhavetheexpectationthattheirchildrenaresupervised.There-fore,parentsareurgedtoarrangefortheirstudentstoarriveatLCSnotearlierthan7:30a.m.andtodepartnotlaterthan4:30p.m.Permittingorencouragingstudentstoarriveearlyorremainlate(unlesstheyareinanorganizedschoolactivityorsport)createsamajorsafetyconcern.Unat-tendedandunsupervisedstudentsareatriskbeforeandafterthesehoursas there isnoadultassigned to respond tostudentemergencyneeds.Exceptionstotheseexpectationsaremadeatvarioustimesoftheyearandstudentsareinformedbytheadministration.

AFTERSCHOOLEXPECTATIONSMiddleSchoolgrades6-8

Monday,Tuesday,Thursday,Friday-Ifstudentsarenotinanactivityorwatchinganactivityat3:30pmtheymustbe:

IntheSSLibrary,WritingLab,MathLaborTutorialCenter(Tues,Thurs)Middleschoolstudentsmustdepartcampusnolaterthan4:30pm.

Wednesdays-IfstudentsarenotattendingaCASWednesdaytriptheymustbeoffcampusby1:45pm.WritingLabandNHSTutorialCenterareopenonWednesdayaswell.MiddleSchoolstudentsdonothaveWednesdayactivities.Theymustbeoffcampusby1:30orinthelibraryortutorialcenter.Theymustbeoffcampusby2:30pm.

HighSchoolgrades9-12

Highschoolstudentshaveafterschoolprivileges,andcanbeoncam-pusfrom3:30-4:30pminanunsupervisedmanner.Theyareexpectedtodepartcampusby4:30ifnotinvolvedinanacivity.

Wednesdays–IfstudentsarenotattendingaCASWednesdaytriptheymustbeoffcampusby1:45pm.Ifhighschoolstudentsarewaitingforvarsityathletics(oranotheractivity)theymustbeintheSSLibraryortheTutorialCenterfrom1:45until3:15.

SCHOOLRULESFORVEHICLESONCAMPUSCarsmustdisplaytheirentrypassesatalltimes.(ObtainedatMainOffice)

1. Only legally, Ghanaian-licensed drivers may operate vehicles oncampus.

2. Driversshouldwatchoutforstudentsatalltimes.Pleasebealert!3. Drivers must respect and follow directions from school’s security

guards. Failure to do somay result in your vehicle beingdeniedentry.

4. CarsmayNOTparkinanyareapaintedyelloworoutsideofnormalparkingareas..

5. Theareapaintedyellowinfrontoftheschoolarchwayisforshort-termstudentdrop-off/pickup.Driversmustnotleavetheirvehiclesorwaitforchildreninthisarea.

6. Vehicles may not ‘back into’ main campus parking spaces. Thisslowsdowntrafficandcreatessafetyconcerns.

7. Highschoolstudentswhodrivetoschoolmustbelegally,Ghanaian-licenseddriversandparkintheparkinglotdownthestreetfromtheschool.Theyarenottoparkonthestreetbetweencampuses.

SECURITYStudentsare responsible to safeguard their personal itemsandschoolbooks.Studentsshouldnotleavetheirvaluablesorschoolbooks/materi-alsunattended. Studentsareencouraged to lock-up theirvaluables intheir assigned lockers or keep themon their person. Bookbags/back-packsthatareleftunattendedtemptthieves.Unattendedbagsandbookswill be seizedand secured in thePrincipal’sOffice. Studentswho re-peatedly leave their property unattendedmay be assigned disciplinaryconsequence.

StudentsmustcarryIdentificationbadges/IDcardsatalltimes.

SOCIALEVENTSPeriodically,studentorganizationsmaysponsorsocialeventsoncampusafterschoolhours.TheseeventsmustbeapprovedbythePrincipalbe-forehand,sponsoredbystaffmembers,andchaperonedbyteachers/staffandparents.EventsarenormallyconductedonFridayeveningsandarescheduledtoendnotlaterthan11:00p.m.Schoolrulesapplyfortheseevents,andareineffectforthedurationoftheevent.TheseeventsareforLCSstudentsonly,unlessoutsideguestsareapprovedbythePrinci-palaheadoftheevent.

Studentsattendingsocialeventsmaynotdeparttheeventvenue(leav-ingcampus)andreturn.Studentsmustarriveateventsnolaterthan90minutesafterthe‘entrygate’hasbeenopened.Laterarrivalswillnotbeadmitted.

STUDENTREPRESENTATIVECOUNCILThepurposeoftheStudentRepresentativeCouncil(SRC)istopromoteleadershipandtoprovidefirsthandexperienceforstudentsinthemeth-odsandproceduresofdemocraticgovernment.TheSRCiscomposedofelectedrepresentativesofeachgradeintheSeniorSchoolandofficerselectedfromtheuppergrades.Theymaintainliaisonwithschooladmin-istratorsandensure that student concernsanddesiresare known. Inaddition,theSRCsponsorsspecialactivitiesfortheentireschool.

VISITORSParents and relatives are welcome to visit Lincoln Community Schoolatanytime.Otherfamilymembersmayvisitifarrangementsaremadeaheadof time. Pleasecheck in theschooloffice to receiveaVisitor’sBadgebeforegoingtotheclassroom,onthedayofthevisit.

Studentsareallowedtohavevisitors.Thismustbediscussedandap-provedaheadof timeby theSecondarySchoolPrincipalor theMiddleSchoolCoordinator.Inmostinstancesonedayof“visiting”willbegrant-ed.Visiting friendswhohavenotbeenpre-approvedmaybeasked toleave.

TECHNOLOGY

Studentsarerequiredtoread,understand,sign,andcommittotheLCSResponsibleUserAgreement

AllstudentswhoborrowLCSlaptopsmustsigntheLCSLaptopBorrow-ingagreementpriortocheckingoutanLCSlaptop.

BothdocumentscanbefoundontheLCSwebsitealongwiththeLCSHonorCode.

StudentaccountswillbefrozenuntiltheResponsibleUserAgreementisacknowledgedandstudentswillnotbeabletoborrowlaptopsuntiltheLaptopBorrowingAgreementisacknowledged.ViolationsViolationswillresultinalossofaccessprivilegesaswellasotherdisci-plinaryactions:Firstviolation:UseraccountwillbedisabledformultipledaysSecondviolation:Theuseraccountwillbedisabledforfourschooldays

andstudentwillmeetwiththeschooladministrationasdeemednecessarybytheTechnologyCoordinator

Third violation: User account will be disabled indefinitely until a solu-tion isdeterminedby thestudent, theparentsandtheschooladministration.

SecondarySchoolLibrary

Thelibraryfacultyandstaffwelcomestudents, faculty,staff,andpar-ents for study, research, and leisure reading. Library personnel areavailabletoassistatalltimes.

Schedule:TheSecondarySchoolLibraryisopenfrom7:30a.m.–4:30p.m.,Monday-Friday

GeneralCollection–studentsandparentscancheckout10booksforonemonthandrenewthemforanadditionalmonth,ifnotrequestedbyanotherpatron.Teachersmaycheckmaterialsoutfortheentireschoolyear;unlessthedemandforaparticularmaterialishigh,inwhichcasethereisatimelimitof2weeks.

ReferenceMaterials–Materialsinthereferencesection(dictionaries,encyclopedias, almanacs, and atlases) are to be used in the library,butmaybecheckedoutovernightandonweekends. Theymustbebroughtbackbeforethefirstclassoftheday.

Periodicals (Magazines) – Periodicals may be checked out for oneweek,withrenewalforanadditionalweekifnecessary.

Audiovisual Materials – Teachers, parents, and students may checktheseout.Materialsaredueinoneweek.

AudiovisualEquipment–Onlyteachersmaycheckequipmentoutforusebythemselvesortheirstudents.

Fines:Therearenooverduefines in thesecondaryschool,but if itemsareoverdue,theyneedtoberenewedorreturnedbeforeadditionalmateri-alsarecheckedout.Studentsandteachersmustpayforanylostma-terialsaccordingtothecommercialpriceofthelostitem.Replacementoftheitemwithasimilaronemaybearranged.

Expectations:

1. Usetime,material,andequipmentwisely2. Stayontaskandkeepmaterialsingoodshapeforthenextuser3. usecomputersforacademicpurposesonly,nopersonale-mails,

gameplaying,orrecreationalInternetsurfing4. Noelectronic devices (exceptmemory sticks) usedor visible in

thelibrary.5. Treatotherswith respect. Keepvoicesdownandusecivil lan-

guage.6. Followalllibraryprocedures7. Tidy-up your area when departing (push chairs in, collect little,

etc…)8. Onlybottledwatermaybeconsumed–nofood/dink/snacks/gum