MMS SCHOOL HOURS & BELL SCHEDULE

A.M. Hours: 7:30 Entrance/Attendance

P.M. Hours: 1:55 Dismissal

If you need to pick your child up prior to the busses loading, please do so by 1:50 by coming to the window in the lobby and the office staff will call your child down to you!

Late Bus Monday – Thursday:  2:50

Regular (Opal Myrick) buses will stop at the Middle School to pick up students who have stayed for help.  These buses will arrive at approximately 2:45 P.M., Monday through Thursday.  The drivers of these buses have been specifically advised that these buses are not to depart from the Middle School until 2:50 P.M.; and that a student is to be sent in to the office to ensure that these buses are announced over the intercom.

GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING SCHOOL PROCEDURE

• Parents are welcome to visit the school.  As courtesy to the staff, it is required that you check in at the principal’s office.  Class visitations should be scheduled through the office.  Parents wishing a conference with a teacher should make arrangements through the principal’s office. 

• Students wishing to visit the school should make arrangements in advance through the principal’s office.

• Students are not to bring radios, CD Walkman’s, game equipment, skateboards, or potentially dangerous devices to school.
• If you see library books or textbooks around the house for a few days, do ask your son or daughter to return the books to school.  A sense of responsibility must be developed by all students. 
• It becomes the responsibility of the student and parent to make restitution for school property that is damaged, lost or destroyed by the student.
• Parents are encouraged to see that students have proper materials for school. 
• Students are expected to eat hot lunch or bring a cold lunch from home each day. 

• Lunch and bus arrangements should be made before the student leaves for school each day.
   

TEXTBOOKS AND NECESSARY ARTICLES

At the beginning of school your child will need the following for gym classes: gym shorts, t-shirt appropriate for gym, and sneakers.  Basic textbooks will be furnished to each student at the beginning of the school year in each class your child is enrolled.  Each student is responsible for all books assigned to him or her.  Every student should be instructed of their responsibility of books assigned to them that are lost or damaged.  Damaged books should be replaced at the expense of the student and parent.  Every student should cover their book in order to keep it in the best possible condition.

Students who become ill or injured during the day are expected to be picked up by a parent or guardian as soon as possible.  Be sure the school has an up-to-date emergency phone number where you or a responsible adult can be contacted.

STUDENT ABSENCES

Regular school attendance is required of all students.  Maine State Law (Title 20-A, Section 5001) lists five reasons for excusable absences.  These are:

1.    Personal Illness – To be verified by appropriate authority as deemed appropriate by the school
administration.

2.   Appointments with health professionals that cannot be made outside of the regular school day.  Appropriate documentation may be requested by the school administration.

3.   Observance of recognized religious holidays when the observance is required during regular school day.  Appropriate documentation may be requested by the school administration.  Required means that there is no other opportunity for the observance.

4.   Emergency family situations as deemed appropriate by the school administration.

5.   Planned absences for personal or educational purposes which have been pre-approved by the school administration.

Each student upon returning to school after being absent must bring a, dated, written excuse, from home, stating reasons for the absence, and it must be signed by parent or legal guardian.  Students without a written excuse will given a form for the parents to fill out and return to the school.

If you plan to keep your child out of school several days, please send a written note in advance or call the school.  Students, after having been absent, are required to make up work as directed by their teacher.  
Please call the school if your child will be absent.  

PHONE CALLS
School telephones are business phones and are not to be used by students except to call parent/guardian in an emergency.  Students may use the phone with permission after school to call a parent/guardian.  Incoming calls for students will not be accepted unless a parent/guardian has an important message that he/she wishes to deliver to the student.

Students that bring cell phones to school are not to have them on until after school.  Students are responsible for their care and are not the responsibility of the school for loss or damage there of.

MEDICATIONS IN SCHOOL
School Union 113 recognizes the need for some students to have medications administered during the day.  According to Maine Law, non-licensed personnel may administer medication, should the School Nurse be unavailable.

Parents must sign a “Medication Consent” form for all medications.  Inhalers and Epipens may be carried by the student and be self-administered.  ALL OTHER MEDICINE must be locked up, in the original prescription bottle.  All medication must be brought to school by a parent or another adult (not be the student on the bus).

SCHOOL DRESS CODE

1.  A reasonable cleanliness of person and of wearing apparel is expected as a matter of health and aesthetics.

2.  To avoid injury to feet and the possibility of disease, footwear, i.e. shoes, sneakers or boots (slippers are not considered footwear) must be worn in the building.

3.   For all students, beach wear, P. J.’s and active athletic wear are inappropriate. 

4.   A decent coverage of the body is expected.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION DRESS

  All students will be required to wear proper gym clothing as follows:

1.    Girls – Gym suit, shorts, top, socks and sneakers.

2.    Boys – Shorts, T-shirt, socks and sneakers.

  Alternative Physical Education clothing must be approved by the instructor.

STUDENT INSURANCE

  Any student involved in extracurricular activities requiring transportation must have medical insurance coverage.

BIKERS AND WALKERS

Students may bike or walk with parental permission.  Bikes are to be ridden directly to the bicycle parking area (bikes are not allowed in any other area of the school grounds).  Students are encouraged to lock their bikes in a rack.  The school is not responsible for missing or damaged bicycles.

Bikers and walkers are not to arrive at school prior to 7:30.  Snowmobiles are not allowed on school grounds.

Students who rollerblade or ride scooters to school must remove them upon reaching school.  Rollerblades and scooters are not be used on the grounds during school hours.  Students traveling to or from school other than by bus may do so with written parental permission. 

PLAYGROUND RULES

Playground rules are in effect whenever students are on the school grounds.

The following are not to be allowed:

1.      Snowballing, throwing or kicking of snow.  Note:  “kicking of snow” refers to kicking snow in such a way that
  is meant to spray at or on someone.

2.      Fighting, wrestling, or face-washing.  Note:  “face-washing” refers to rubbing snow in someone’s face.

3.      Playing tackle football.

4.      Unsafe play on or with school equipment.  Example:  sliding down the slide head first or swinging a baseball 
   bat where others might be struck by it.

5.      Use of hard balls (regular baseballs).

6.      Hat snatching or pulling on clothing.

7.      Disruptive behavior.  Example:  students who take or kick a ball which other students are using for a game.

8.      Smoking, cigarettes, matches, knives, lighters or other potentially dangerous items.

9.      Students pushing one another while on any of the large rocks on the school playground or school grounds.

10.     Rough play will not be allowed on the playground (as it usually leads to fighting and someone getting hurt). 
   Rough play consists of hitting, kicking, fighting, wrestling, picking up another student, piggy-back riding,
   karate, shoving pushing and any other activity that could lead to an injury.  Students will lose recess
   privileges and/or be placed on after-school detention if they persist in rough play.  If this does not work the students will be sent to the Principal’s office and parents called.  Such students may be suspended from school.
 

***Students are not to leave the playground during school hours.  Students are not to be in the woods.

***Students are not to use the front doors during noon recesses, as these doors are reserved for bus students.

***Students are not to play in the driveway area in front of the building or next to classrooms where classes are in session.

***Students are not to be playing in the parking lots or near cars parked at or around the school.  Students tampering with cars will be expected to pay for damages and will be suspended from school.