GENERAL INFORMATION

ATTENDANCE
The Tipton County Board of Education recognizes that good attendance is essential to achieve success at the high school level. Therefore, the following policy has been adopted:

Absences Allowed
High School students will be permitted a maximum of six (6) days absent per semester. A student will receive a failing grade of 65% in each course in which there has been a violation of this policy. Parents will be notified after the third absence and the Truancy Officer will be notified after the fifth absence.

Excused and Unexcused Absences
The scholastic achievement attained by any student is directly related to his/her pattern of school attendance. Students will not be excused from school except in case of emergency. The following are considered excused absences:

  1. Illness
  2. Death in the family
  3. Religious Holiday
  4. Subpoena to court
  5. Exceptions to above by principal only
Any student who is absent from school must have a parent or legal guardian write an excuse giving the date, days of absence, the reason for the absence, and his/her signature. This excuse must be presented in the cafeteria annex before 7:45 where the absence will be determined excused or unexcused. If you arrive after 7:45, you will be sent to obtain a tardy before you can receive an admit. The student's handbook will be stamped on the date the student returns to school. The student will present the handbook, with the authorized stamp, to the teacher of the classes in which the student was absent. ANY STUDENT WHO COMES TO CLASS WITHOUT AN AUTHORIZED ADMIT MUST BE SENT TO THE APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR AN ADMIT. For an excused absence, all teachers are required to provide opportunities to make up missed work.

Checking In and Out of School
If a student needs to leave school, a parent or guardian must come to the school or call the school to check the student out.  In either case, the student must sign out in the office.  Leaving school without permission or failing to sign out is classified as truancy (skipping) and will be dealt with accordingly.   No student may check out during lunch without a doctor, dentist, or court note upon his/her return.  Students may not leave campus to get lunch.  No student will be allowed an early dismissal for employment purposes unless granted a hardship waiver by the Tipton County Board of Education.

Perfect Attendance
To receive a Perfect Attendance award at the end of your Senior year, you must be at school everyday, every period for four years. Any check-out or check-in that causes an absence from a period will count against perfect attendance.

Tardy to School
It is very important that students be on time for school each morning. Tardiness will only be excused for doctor or court appointments. On the fourth tardy to school, students will be placed on the discipline scale for consequences.

ATTENDANCE INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR SENIORS
The following attendance and good conduct requirements must be met by seniors in order to be exempt from second semester exams.

Semester Exams
Students (grades 9-12) will take all semester exams at the end of the first semester. Students (grades 9-12) may be exempt from final exams at the end of the second semester if they meet the following requirements.

  1. Have a passing grade (70 or more) in the course.
  2. Have no in-school or out-of-school suspensions and no more than two discipline referrals.
  3. Have no more than one excused absence (doctor or dental appointment, illness or death in the family) in the course during the second semester.

BELL SCHEDULE

THE COUGAR CORNER
The Cougar Corner, located next to Room 134, handles all types of paper, pencils, and other school supplies and will be open from 7:25 to 7:40 and during lunch time.

DIRECTED STUDY
Directed Study takes place through study hall. This program provides students with the opportunity to get help in areas of study in which they need assistance. Teachers are assigned to directed study each block and are available the last 45 minutes of study hall to assist students. Students may go to directed study voluntarily or they may be assigned by a teacher. Students may also use directed study to make up work. Those teachers assigned to directed study will go to the study hall at the appropriate time to see if there are students who would like help in their particular area. At that time students should sign out of study hall and go with the teacher. Students are to remain with the directed study teacher until the end of the period.

EARLY DISMISSAL
If a student needs to leave early for other reasons, a parent or guardian must come to the school or call the school to check them out. In either case, the student must sign out in the office. Leaving school without permission or failing to sign out is classified as truancy (skipping) and will be dealt with accordingly. No student will be allowed an early dismissal for employment purposes unless granted a hardship waiver by the Tipton County Board of Education.

FIELD TRIPS
Students who attend any school sponsored trip or activity that takes them out of class will not be counted absent from school. Because students are not counted absent, they are responsible for any assignments and work that takes place in classes while they are out. Students should get assignments prior to the field trip so they are prepared for class upon their return.

ILLNESS
A student who is too ill to report to class is to report to the office. Office Personnel will permit an ill student to call parents and arrange for transportation home.

INJURIES
Accidents which occur on campus should be reported to the office. Any injury which requires professional medical attention also requires certain forms to be completed in order to verify insurance claims.

LOCKERS AND LOCKS
Lockers and combination locks are available to students. Since the locker is school property, the school reserves the right to inspect it at any time. Only school issued locks are to be used on school lockers. The lock and locker rental fee of $5.00 is used to defray the cost of the locks and lockers. When a lock is issued to a student, it becomes the responsibility of the student and if not returned at the end of the school year, a fee of $5.00 will be charged to the student.
The locker should be kept locked at all times. All students are responsible for keeping their assigned lockers clean both inside and out. Damages caused by misuse, tape, etc. will be charged to the student responsible. Lockers are to be used by only the individual to whom they are assigned. Sharing of lockers will only be permitted with permission from the principal or designee. Students may not place personal locks on their lockers. Any personal locks found on lockers will be removed by the administration.

LUNCH
The regular lunch is $1.25 and tickets may be purchased on a monthly basis. When a student buys a lunch ticket, full responsibility for that ticket is assumed by the student.
Free lunch applications are issued to all students early during the school year. Applications must be filled out completely and signed before final school approval can be given. Free lunch tickets also become the responsibility of the student when issued. Lending free lunch tickets to other students will not be permitted. This ticket will not be replaced if lost or stolen.

MAKE-UP WORK
The following applies to all make-up work. Make-up time will be on day for a day basis. If the student is absent for one day, work must be turned in the day after the student returns to that class. If the student is absent for two days, work must be turned in two classes after the student returns to school. If a student will be absent five or more days, the parents should contact the appropriate guidance counselor to request assignments. Upon return to school, the student must turn in all make-up work within five days unless the teacher and principal agree upon an extension. PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE ON THE DATE ANNOUNCED OR IMMEDIATELY UPON THE STUDENT'S RETURN TO SCHOOL. A student who will be absent more than two weeks should request a home-bound teacher.
Teachers may give make-up work for unexcused absences except for those absences for which the student has received an unexcused pink slip issued by the principal or designee. NOTE: The only exception is nine weeks tests or semester exams.

MEDICATION
If it becomes necessary for a student to take any form of medication at school, a signed note from a parent must be presented to the office. All medication will be kept and dispensed through the main office. The student will be permitted to come to the office to take the medication at the appointed time.

SCHOOL INSURANCE
School insurance is available to all students. Information will be available to students and parents about insurance early in the fall. Purchase of the program is optional. Only those involved in the athletic program must provide signed evidence that they are covered by adequate insurance if they choose not to purchase the school insurance.

STUDENT PARKING
Driving a car to school is a privilege. Students must park in the assigned areas in the front of the building. Students will not linger in the parking lot before or after school. All students entering or leaving campus in their automobiles are required to travel in a slow, safe manner (10 mph). Loud radios and music are a distraction to the school environment. All radios must be turned down upon entering campus. A rule of thumb is that if it can be heard outside the car, it is too loud.

Parking Regulations

  1. Students must fill out a parking permit information form. Proof of insurance and driver's license required in order to receive a permit.
  2. Students must pay $10.00 a year for a parking hang tag.
  3. Students must park in designated areas only. Students cannot park in faculty areas or in a non-parking area.
  4. Students will be fined on the second offense and every offense thereafter per semester for not having a MHS hang tag or parking in a non-designated area. There will be a $5.00 fine per offense.
  5. Students' vehicles may be subject to search upon discretion of the proper authorities - MHS officials or law enforcement officials.
  6. Any vehicle may be towed for repeated violation or parking in a non-designated area.

STUDY HALL
Students who do not have a scheduled class are required to report to study hall. After roll call, students may check out of study hall as approved by the study hall teacher. Students are encouraged to take advantage of directed study opportunities available during their study hall. (See directed study for more information.) No student is allowed to leave the study hall to go to another teacher's room without a hall pass. Teacher student assistants must be approved through the office.

TELEPHONE CALLS
There is a phone for student use located in the main office. In order to use the phone, you must have a signed agenda from your teacher. There is a time limit of 1 minute for a call.  All calls are to be made between classes or during lunch.  Students will not be called out of a class to take or return phone calls.

TEXTBOOKS
All basic textbooks are loaned to students for their use during the school year. Workbooks and other supplies are paid for by the student. Textbooks are to be kept clean and handled carefully. Book covers should be used for all textbooks. Please be sure that your name, grade, and class are written on the book label in case the book is misplaced. Textbook covers are held on books only by end sheets. No pencils, extra papers, etc. are to be kept in textbooks to avoid damaging the binding.
Textbook loan agreement forms must be signed by the parents or guardians and all previous financial obligations must be paid before textbooks will be issued. Damage fees will be assessed and paid for books that have been abused. Lost books must be paid for in full.
When a student has paid for a lost textbook, he/she will be issued a receipt. This receipt must be presented in the event of a refund due to finding the lost textbook. NO RECEIPT, NO REFUND. If a student needs a duplicate receipt in order to take an exam, the fee for a duplicate will be $1.00. When paying any debts, the student must bring the correct amount of change. Checks for the exact amount only will be accepted.

GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT BEHAVIOR

The jurisdiction of Munford High School as it relates to student conduct applies to any school sponsored function. School functions include the normal school day, bus travel to and from school or any sponsored event, extra-curricular activities, athletic events and field trips. It is the responsibility of the individual student to conduct his or herself accordingly. Violations will be dealt with by the consequences.

CAFETERIA
Student behavior in the dining room should be based on courtesy and cleanliness. This means talking quietly, using proper table manners, and leaving the area in the condition in which you yourself would like to eat. Students are expected to be prompt in getting to the cafeteria. The tardy rules also apply to the lunch period. Students will go through the cafeteria line and pay for food choices. There is to be no breaking in line, and each student will purchase only his/her food. Students are to remain seated in the cafeteria until dismissed, unless permission has been granted by a teacher and a hall pass issued. At no time are students allowed to take food, drinks, or cups of ice outside of the cafeteria.

CAMPUS ARRIVAL /DISMISSAL

Students arriving before 7:30 a.m. are to report to the gym and remain there until dismissal to class.  Students are not to linger outside in the parking lot or hall.  Students with personal transportation are not to arrive on campus earlier than 7:30 a.m.   All students should be in their first class at 7:45 a.m.
There are three (3) dismissals in the afternoon.  The 1st dismisses those who ride shuttle buses.  The 2nd dismisses those who ride early, 1st load buses.  The 3rd dismisses the students who ride the late buses, walkers, and riders.  Students who ride a bus in the afternoon are to report to the outside waiting area located under the canopy at the end of the school building nearest the elementary school.

CLASS ATTENDANCE
Students are required to attend all scheduled classes including study hall. If the student is not present at the beginning of the class period, the teacher will place the student's name on an hourly absentee form. The absentee forms are picked up and checked by the office workers.
Participation in any extra-curricular activity is not permitted when a student is absent the full day of the activity. Any exception to this policy requires the principal's approval. Any student out of class without a hall pass is considered skipping class. This will result in disciplinary action.

COMPUTER USE POLICY
Students and parents are required to sign the Acceptable Use Policy prior to students using school computers. Students and parents should keep in mind that computer use is a privilege not a right. This privilege may be revoked for violation of the Acceptable Use Policy. Students are subject to disciplinary action for inappropriate use of technology. The terms and conditions for computer use established in the Acceptable Use Policy include but are not limited to the following points.

DRESS CODE
Students are expected to keep themselves well-groomed and neatly dressed at all times. Any form of dress or hair style which is contrary to good hygiene or which is disruptive or detrimental to the orderly educational progress of other students will not be permitted.
The following specific items of apparel or accessory will not be permitted. THIS LIST IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE.

Safety, health, and individual dignity provide the basis for any dress code. If clothing is disruptive to the learning process or if it is embarrassing to others, steps will be taken to deal with the individual student. If there is a question as to whether an article of clothing is appropriate for school wear, please contact the school administration prior to wearing. Parents will be called to bring acceptable attire. Without a change of clothes, the student will be placed in in-school detention and policies governing such will be in effect. Students in violation of the dress code will be placed in in-school placement and policies governing such will be in effect.  Habitual violations of the dress/appearance code will result in further disciplinary action.  Mr. Darry Marshall or his designee will be the final authority.

NON-SCHOOL OFFICIALS
A law enforcement officer, welfare staff member or other public or private professional service agencies may confer with a student on school premises if done in the presence of the student's parents or building principal or his/her designee.

PROHIBITED ARTICLES ON CAMPUS
Students are prohibited from bringing any items to school which are detrimental to the safety of others or interfere in some way with school procedure. Such items that are considered undesirable will be impounded by the administration. These items include, but are not limited to, drugs, alcohol or weapons of any kind. Under the amended School Security Act, T.C.A. Sections 49-6-4201, personal searches may be conducted if the principal has a reasonable suspicion that the student has in his possession a prohibited item or substance. The search law also applies to visitors as well as any vehicles, containers, or packages brought onto the school grounds. Students and visitors may be subjected to search by metal detectors. Police authorities may be contacted if violations occur.

Use of Tobacco
Since Tennessee law makes the purchase, possession, or use of cigarettes illegal for anyone under the age of 18, the use of tobacco in any form by any student is prohibited. The Tipton County Board of Education prohibits smoking and the possession of tobacco products on all school campuses. Violations must be reported to school administration.

Drugs, Alcohol and Weapons Abuse
Any student who intentionally sells, gives, possesses, uses or is under the influence of illicit drugs, narcotics, or alcohol in or on school property, including buses and off-campus school activities, shall be subject to immediate disciplinary action which may include suspension, expulsion, and/or arrest. Any student who brings any type of weapon or firearm on campus is also subject to immediate disciplinary action. Tennessee Law allows that students in violation of the drugs, alcohol and weapons policies be suspended for up to 365 calendar days. The local law enforcement officers will be called as well.

Other Prohibited Articles
Students will not be permitted to have beepers, pagers, or cellular telephones on school property unless there are some unusual and exceptional circumstances. The Board of Education may consider and base its decision on one (1) of the following factors:

  1. A member of the volunteer fire department;
  2. A family hardship that requires the students' immediate response
  3. All other factors that the board may deem relevant and pertinent in their effect upon the welfare of the students.
Other undesirable items include, but are not limited to, playing cards, radios, sunglasses, and water guns. Any confiscated items will not be returned to the student until the end of the semester or as desired by administration.

SCHOOL BUS CONDUCT
Riding the school bus is a privilege. Improper conduct on the busses will result in that privilege being denied. Students who violate the School Bus Conduct Code, as outlined in the Tipton County Student Handbook, will be disciplined by the bus driver or at the school level. Violations of school bus conduct may be handled with any of the following consequences: NOTE: The Tipton County Student Handbook lists specific violations. Consequences for any infraction of school bus rules may be selected by the local school administration according to the severity of the circumstances.

STUDENT CONDUCT

Munford High School exists for the total education of the individual student.  In order for this to occur, the proper environment must exist.  The students at MHS have a major responsibility to insure this environment; therefore, proper conduct will be required.

Students are required to carry their agendas at all times and should be in class at the appropriate time.   Students who receive excessive tardies and/or “no agendas” will accumulate an office visit for every third event.  This will affect students’ eligibility to be exempt from  senior exams second semester.

Violations of school rules and conduct may be handled with any of the following consequences:

NOTE:  The Tipton County Student Handbook lists specific violations.  Consequences for any infraction of school rules may be selected by the local school administration according to the severity of the circumstances.

STUDENT ID's
Each student should have a school identification card. Pictures for these cards will be taken at the beginning of school. Students should wear their id at all times. They are required to check out library books and allow students admittance to school events free or at a reduced price.

TARDY TO CLASS
Promptness is very important at school as well as in the workplace. Students should arrive on time to class. Students should be in their seats and ready to work when the tardy bell sounds. If you are tardy to class, report to Mr. Nathaniel's office. If you are tardy as a result of being detained by another teacher, be sure to get an admit from that teacher and report to Mr. Nathaniel's before attempting to enter the next scheduled class. Consideration will be given for tardiness under exceptional circumstances. Students who receive a second unexcused tardy to class will be placed on the discipline scale for consequences.

VANDALISM AND PROPERTY DAMAGE
Our school buildings and equipment cost the taxpayers (students and their parents) money to construct and maintain. Any student who destroys or vandalizes school property will be required to pay for losses or damages. If a student willfully destroys or damages school property, suspension and subsequent expulsion may be necessary. If a student should damage something by accident or notice something damaged, it should be reported to a teacher or an administrator immediately. Chewing gum is prohibited because damage is done to the furniture and textbooks when students stick the gum in desks and/or under tables. Students will not sit or hang out of windows.

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