This & That

Change of Address or Phone Number

Any change of telephone number must be reported to the Counseling and Career Center (356-8322). For obvious reasons, the school must have a daytime phone number where parents can be reached in the event of an emergency. Any change of address must be reported to the district Registrar, and three proofs of residency must be submitted. To make an appointment with the registrar, please call 356-8222. To learn more, visit the Register a Student page at https://www.mohonasen.org/about-us/student-registration/

Closing and Delays

The superintendent of schools may close schools or dismiss students and staff early when hazardous weather or an unexpected emergency threatens health or safety.

School closing and delayed starting times will be reported to local television and radio stations.

Closing information is also posted on the school district website and Facebook page. E-mail and text message alerts are also sent out through the School News Notifier (SNN) system. To sign up to receive SNN alerts, visit School Closings/Delays

Parents are asked to avoid calling the school office for this information in order to keep phone lines open.

Code of Conduct

In compliance with the state’s Safe Schools Against Violence (SAVE) legislation and the Dignity for All Students Act, the Mohonasen Board of Education has adopted a Code of Conduct (i.e., rules and regulations) for all people on school property.

This districtwide Code of Conduct was developed in consultation with teachers, parents, students, administrators and other school/community representatives and is updated annually. It is available online at www.mohonasen.org or in the high school main office.

Mohonasen’s Code of Conduct sets high standards for student conduct and academic integrity. The Code of Conduct outlines clear consequences for students who break the rules. It specifically addresses consequences for infractions such as bullying, intimidation, harassment, swearing, plagiarism and cheating. The Code of Conduct also outlines the student Dress Code and Electronics Policy, as well as what is expected of students involved in extracurricular activities.

The Code of Conduct will serve as a standard for consistency and fairness that protects students’ rights while promoting responsibility. We are committed to holding high academic standards of integrity.

Parents play an important role in the maintenance of good discipline in Mohonasen schools. Parents are encouraged to review the Code of Conduct and discuss it with their children on a regular basis.

Parents should encourage students to be “school ready” every day. This includes ensuring students arrive on time, dress appropriately, bring all needed materials and present an attitude of respect. It is essential that parents contact the school with any information that can help avoid problems during the school day.

Classroom Rules:
Students are expected to follow four basic rules:

Students will arrive to class on time.
Students will bring all necessary materials to class.
Students will complete all assignments on time to the best of their ability.
Students will behave in a manner which is not disruptive.

Computer Use Code

Mohonasen High School has technology resources that those at many high schools can only dream of. Students have ready access to computers and other technology in their regular classrooms, the library and in multiple computer labs throughout the school.

Student use of these computers and other learning technologies is contingent upon them abiding by the district’s acceptable use policy.

All students are strongly advised to abide by the rules spelled out in the Computer Use Code. It is very simple for network administrators to pinpoint misuse of computers – down to which computer, at what time and who was using it. So do yourself a favor and don’t horse around on the school computers.

Dignity for All Students

New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) took effect on July 1, 2012. Just as with the district’s Code of Conduct, the new law seeks to provide the State’s public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying (including cyberbullying) on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function. The Dignity Act includes, but is not limited to, acts of discrimination and harassment based on a student’s race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex.

School officials understand the impact bullying and harassment can have on a school environment. More than a physical threat, bullying creates a climate of fear and makes learning difficult for all students. The new law calls for each school to appoint a Dignity Act Coordinator who is trained to address issues in areas protected by the law and is accessible to the school community. The Dignity Act Coordinators at Mohonasen are the principals of each school.

Field Trips

Students must have prior written approval from a parent or guardian for all school sponsored field trips. A permission form must be obtained from the teacher coordinating the trip, signed and returned to the school prior to the trip.

Additionally, in order to participate in field trips, students must have on file with the school nurse a Student Health Card and the Field Trip/Medical Emergency form.

Keep in mind that participation in field trips is a privilege, not a right, and may be revoked based on behavior, attendance or school performance. Students are representatives of their school while on field trips and should behave accordingly by following all school rules. Students are responsible for making up any missed coursework while on a trip.

Formal and Semi-Formal Dances

Mohonasen High School has a series of formal and semi-formal dances for students.

Eligibility for formal dances is contingent upon maintaining an acceptable academic and behavioral record throughout the year.

Students are permitted to bring guests to these dances from outside the Mohonasen community. Any student wishing to bring a guest must fill out a guest form (available in advance of ticket sales). Mohonasen High School administration reserves the right to deny attendance to any individual based on concern about student safety or behavior. Guests must be in high school and under the age of 21. Appeals to this policy must be placed in writing and submitted to the superintendent of schools no later than 14 days prior to the scheduled event.

Graduation Speeches

Each spring, a contest is held to select seniors to speak at the high school graduation ceremony in June. All seniors are eligible to compete for this honor. Working with a faculty member of their choosing, students write their speech and then present it before a panel of judges comprised of various community members. Students who are not selected to address their peers at graduation are eligible to speak at the senior breakfast.

Graphic Calculators

Graphing calculators are used regularly in high school math classes, on tests and for homework. The State Education Department requires the use of a graphing calculator on the Common Core Algebra, Common Core Geometry and Algebra 2/Trigonometry Regents Exams.

Mohonasen has a limited supply of graphing calculators for student use in classrooms and on tests. Homework will also be assigned that requires their use to reinforce concepts and complete assignments.

Toward that end, the math department strongly recommends that all students purchase the Texas Instruments TI-83 PLUS, TI-84 PLUS or TI-Nspire graphing calculator which retail for about $100. It is a worthy investment that can be used in all high school math and science classes – as well as in college.

Late Arrival/Early Dismissal

Seniors in good standing may be eligible to arrive late or leave early from school if their schedule permits. This privilege may be revoked at any time if academic, attendance or behavioral concerns arise. Students must complete an application form to determine eligibility. Forms are available in the main office.

Interested seniors should contact their school counselor for more information.

Lockers

Student lockers are the property of the district and, like textbooks, are loaned to students for their use during the school year.

To ensure student health and safety, the school reserves the right to inspect locker contents. This inspection may include, but is not limited to, locker clean out days, the use of trained drug dogs and individual locker inspections.

Students should not store valuables in their lockers. Be sure your locker is closed and locked before you leave it. The school district is not responsible for items reported missing from student lockers. Students are to use only the locker assigned to them and are to keep their locker clean and undamaged.

Make sure you’ve cleaned out your locker at the end of the school year by the deadline stated on the morning announcements. After that time, all lockers will be emptied and your personal items will be relocated to a central “lost and found” box. (Hint: You’d be surprised how many students don’t pay attention to the end-of-year deadline and then end up digging through mountains of abandoned “stuff” for a beloved coat… CD… pair of shoes… etc.)

All students are responsible for leaving their lockers in the same condition as they were in the beginning of the year.

Students who deface their lockers will be required to return their locker to its original condition or pay for damages.

Gym Lockers

A gym locker and lock will be assigned to students for all four years of high school. A $5 deposit will be required for the school lock. This deposit will be returned when the lock is returned at the end of the student’s senior year or when he or she leaves Mohonasen.

Personal locks are not permitted. During the summer, gym lockers will be left open with the locks attached. As with regular hallway lockers, students should not store anything valuable in their gym lockers.

Lost and Found

Any student who has lost, or believes his/her property has been stolen, should report this to the main office. School officials will make a reasonable attempt to find lost or stolen property, but the district is not responsible for its replacement. Students who find property belonging to someone else are asked to bring it to the main office.

Morning Announcements

Each day during homeroom period, morning announcements give students valuable information about things like: athletic team tryouts, club activities, scholarship information, various application deadlines, social activities and more. Have a pencil ready to jot down notes!

In addition, the morning announcements are posted online at www.mohonasen.org.

Students attending a morning program at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School will need to show extra initiative since they will miss these announcements. They are strongly encouraged to stop down to the main office on a daily basis to read the announcements or visit the Mohonasen website where they are posted daily.

Passes

Any student in the hall during classes is required to have a proper pass, issued and signed by a staff member. It is each student’s responsibility to obtain a pass when traveling the halls. We will continue to use agenda passbooks for this purpose. Students are required to present their pass whenever asked by a staff member. Students stopped in the hallway without a pass will be reported to the front desk. Multiple offenses will result in detention.

Phone Calls

In the event of an emergency, parents should contact the school office or attendance office if they need to get a message to their child. But please limit such requests to emergencies only to avoid disruptions to classrooms. Parents should not call or text students on personal cell phones during the school day as this causes a disruption and may result in student discipline.

Public Concerns

Public concerns about any facet of school operations should generally follow a chain of command, starting with the person closest to the source of the complaint.

In most instances, concerns will be directed to the building principal or his/her assistant if the matter cannot first be resolved by the teacher, coach or other staff member involved.

If an issue is not satisfactorily resolved at the building level, the concern may be carried to the superintendent of schools or one of her assistants.

School Resource Officer (SRO)

Thanks to a partnership with the Rotterdam Police Department, a uniformed police officer works full-time at the high school when school is in session.

Mohonasen High School’s SRO provides a visible law enforcement presence on the campus. He is also a resource for students, parents, faculty and staff. The SRO is involved in counseling, teaching, participation in extracurricular activities as well as safety and security issues. His office is located in the lobby outside the high school gym.

School Supply Lists

Due to the varied course offerings at the high school, a list of the school supplies required for each course will be provided by each teacher when classes begin.

If purchasing school supplies is a financial hardship, please contact your child’s school counselor.

Security Cameras in our Building

Surveillance cameras to help deter violence and vandalism are in place in all Mohonasen schools.

These closed-circuit TV cameras monitor student activity in high-traffic areas both inside and outside of our schools. Security cameras record people as they enter and exit each building and sensors notify staff when there has been an unauthorized entry at selected doors. (There are no surveillance cameras in student bathrooms or physical education locker rooms.)

The presence of cameras is designed to serve as an added deterrent to fights and other misbehavior, vandalism and violence. Video recordings also provide powerful evidence in disciplinary or criminal investigations.

Senioe Privileges/Events

Students designated as seniors are eligible for various privileges including accessing the courtyard during study hall and applying for a late arrival or early dismissal (schedule permitting), as well as the opportunity to attend special events such as the senior picnic. These opportunities are in place to honor the maturity of students during this transitional year and are afforded to students in good academic standing (passing all classes required for graduation). Students failing to maintain this standard risk losing their privileges and will be unable to attend these special events. Eligibility for prom/ball is contingent upon maintaining an acceptable academic and behavioral record throughout the year.

The school social workers collaborate with teachers, administrators, students and families, and interface with community-based providers to respond to and support student’s social, emotional and behavioral needs. Social work at school is purposefully short term. Through individual and small-group counseling, referrals to outside agencies, individualized programs and crisis intervention, the social workers address the needs of students to promote their social-emotional progress. The social workers are also responsible for providing social-work services to students who have counseling on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Mohonasen also has a student assistance counselor who is available to help students who are dealing with personal problems such as depression, drug or alcohol abuse, a family crisis, etc.

Students may contact the social workers or student assistance counselor directly or they may be referred to him/her by a parent or other school personnel. Parents can also call the Counseling and Career Center for information and referrals to community and social service programs.

Student Board of Education Representatives

Each spring two juniors are elected to represent their senior classmates as representatives to the Board of Education. Students work closely with student groups and high school administrators to develop culture and programs at the high school. The Board representatives attend monthly board meetings to present on issues and events occurring at the high school.

Student IDs

All high school students are issued a Mohonasen Student Identification Card from the company that takes student pictures each year. This ID may be required at school dances so it’s a good idea to keep it in a safe and accessible location.

Student Parking Privileges

Students with a valid driver’s license who wish to apply for a parking permit should request an application from the SRO when they become available in September. A non-refundable fee of $5 is required to receive a permit. As spaces are limited, permits are granted first to seniors and then to juniors. Within each grade level, permits are granted on a lottery basis. Eligible students who do not receive permits are placed on a waiting list and granted a space when one becomes available. Sophomores and freshmen are not permitted to drive to school.

Students should be aware that student parking is a privilege, not a right. Chronic attendance problems and/or disciplinary issues will result in suspension/revocation of parking privileges. Students may park only in their designated space in the student parking lot. Cars parked in areas other than the student lot or on campus without a valid parking permit may be towed at the owners expense. Students are not allowed to return to their car during the school day without prior permission. Sitting, eating or smoking in the vehicle – even during lunch periods – is strictly prohibited during the school day. Student drivers are expected to abide by the 15 m.p.h. speed limit on school property and report to homeroom by 7:38 a.m.

Student Records

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives parents (not step-parents) and students over 18 years of age the following rights:

The right to inspect and review your (or your child’s) education records within 45 days of the day the district receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the building principal a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify you of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
The right to request the amendment of your (or your child’s) education records that you believe are inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the district to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading by writing the principal, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed, and specifying why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the district decides not to amend the record as requested, it will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.

Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided at this same time.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in your (or your child’s) education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
Release of Student Directory Information

From time to time, student directory information is published on the Mohonasen website, in school publications or released to the media to recognize student achievement or depict activities of the Mohonasen School District. Parents who object to the disclosure of their child’s directory information should notify both the superintendent of schools and their child’s building principal, in writing, on or before September 15 of each school year. For more details, see the “release of directory information” notice on the district website at www.mohonasen.org.

Release of Student Information to the Military and Institutions of Higher Learning

In accordance with federal legislation, schools are required to release student names, addresses and phone numbers to military recruiters and/or institutions of higher education unless the student’s parent(s) have notified their child’s school principal, in writing, that they do not want this information released. Notification must be received on or before October 1 in any given school year.

Student Planners/Assignment Notebooks

All students are STRONGLY advised to use a student planner/assignment notebook on a daily basis to record homework assignments and help plan their schedules. Quite simply, these are essential from elementary school on up, especially when students have to juggle homework assignments from seven or more teachers each week. The passbook of the agenda pages are also to be used as passes.

Parents are asked to encourage the use of these planners and to check them on a regular basis if there are concerns about homework. If a student loses the planner, he/she must purchase another planner, which are available in the main office. There is a minimal fee for the planner.

Student Transfers

If a student is going to transfer to another school district, parents should notify the current school counselor as far in advance as possible. Early notice will help make the transition smoother for all concerned. School records need to be transferred and processed and schedules need to be adapted when students leave one school for another. Whenever possible, it’s best to time the move to coincide with the end of a marking period or the beginning of a new school year.

Swimming Pool

In addition to using the pool in physical education classes, students can take advantage of a growing number of pool programs and courses.

For example, students can take lifeguarding courses at Mohonasen. Once they receive their certification, students age 15 and older can be employed as lifeguards at the pool – a fun and lucrative part-time job!

Students can also participate in the early morning lap swim or open swim sessions for just $2. A calendar of pool classes is posted on the district website (swimming pool pages). Students on the boys’ and girls’ swim teams also use the pool for practice and meets.

Mohonasen’s Aquatics Department is looking at adding new and more specialized classes so listen to the morning announcements, check the bulletin board at the entrance to the pool or visit the website for the latest offerings and opportunities.

Textbooks

Textbooks and, in certain cases, other school supplies and materials, are provided to students on a loan basis. Such property is generally intended for use by a number of students over a period of years and should not be abused. All textbooks are to be covered.

Many of the new textbook companies now offer companion websites and Web-based tutorials to help students succeed. When in doubt, ask the teacher for the Web address and
(in some cases) the required password for accessing these added resources.

Students are responsible for the return of all loaned property. Each book is checked by the teacher when issued and its number and condition are registered upon student receipt. With reasonable care, books can be returned in June in about the same condition as when issued. If a book is lost or damaged, the student will be required to pay a fee based on the cost and condition of the book when issued.

“Trading Post” School Store/First New York Credit Union

The “Trading Post” school store is centrally located in the high school across from the library. It sells apparel and school supplies. These items include, but are not limited to academic review books and Mohonasen “spirited” paraphernalia. The “Trading Post” is open various hours during the day and
after school.

First New York Credit Union is located within our school store. It is staffed by high school students and is overseen by a high school advisor. This credit union branch is opened to students and school district staff members for deposits, withdrawals, check cashing and loan payments. It is an offline environment so there is no member confidentiality compromised.

The credit union is open for business during lunch periods each Friday.

Visitors to the High School

For security reasons, all visitors during school hours are required to present a valid photo ID to be scanned and receive a visitor’s pass. This includes parents. Student visitors are not permitted during the school day.

Working Papers

Any student under the age of 18 who wants to work must first get working papers from the Counseling and Career Center. This requires a parent’s written permission to work, proof of age and a certificate of physical fitness.

“Blue cards” are issued for students under the age of 16. When students turn 16 they must reapply for “green card” working papers.

The following laws apply to underage workers:

12- and 13-year-olds can hand-harvest fruits and vegetables up to four hours/week and can work as newspaper carriers (ages 11+).
14- and 15-year-olds can work for three hours on a school day and eight hours Saturday, Sunday and holidays – up to an 18-hour work week. During the summer, they can work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
At age 16, teens can work four hours per day, Monday through Thursday, and eight hours per day Fridays, weekends or holidays. They can work up to 28 hours per week, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. With parental permission, they can work until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
No minor can work in the construction industry, and teens are not permitted to operate machinery that could prove dangerous.
Teens must be paid minimum wage.
Teens and parents should be mindful that while working offers a number of clear benefits, studies show that working 15 hours or more each week during the school year often requires students to sacrifice sleep, homework and family time.

Bottom line? School should be the number-one priority. That said, students who are looking for work can check out the JOB BOARD in the Counseling and Career Center.

Students should also keep in mind that employers will often call the high school to request school attendance reports before deciding whether or not to hire that person. (Another reason why good school attendance counts!)