# SUB-SECTION I - GENERAL INFORMATION # GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SCHOOL ##### **School Classification** West Fork High School is fully accredited by the Arkansas Department of Education and has been designated as a School of Innovation. Additionally, the high school is a member of the Arkansas Activities Association and is a Class AAA school. ##### **School Cancellations** If it should become necessary to close school because of snow and ice, the following stations will be notified by 6:00 a.m. Please do not call school administrators. Television KFSM - Channel 5 KNWA - Channel 9 KHOG - Channel 7 The school will also attempt to notify parents of closings using the District’s automated Blackboard system. ##### **School Day (Bell Schedule)** ##### **School Office Hours** West Fork High School office hours will be from 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. Office hours may vary during holidays and summer break. ##### **School Phone Numbers** High School Office – 839-3131 High School Counselor – 839-3134 High School Nurse – 839-2101 Transportation Supervisor – 839-2366 School Resource Officer – 839-3131 ##### **School Colors** Black and Vegas Gold ##### **School Mascot** Tiger # STUDENT IDENTIFICATION BADGE Identification badges have been distributed to students as a part of our district security/safety plan for our campus in the overall protection of our students and staff. We believe that these badges make it easier for everyone on our campus to have a quick way to determine if individuals on our campus are legitimately affiliated with our school district/campus. Every student will wear the approved school-provided identification badge during the school day. The badge must be located on the upper body of the student in a manner that can be easily seen by anyone. Failure to do so will lead to disciplinary action and a requirement for the student to retrieve their badge or to go to the office and get a temporary one assigned to them for that day. If they have lost/damaged their badge, they are required to go to the high school office and have a new one made. There will be a monetary charge for making another badge for students after the original one. Currently, it costs **$5.00.** # ASSEMBLIES Assemblies will be scheduled at various times throughout the school year. They are considered to be a part of the regular school day. Attendance to assemblies is mandatory unless otherwise stated by the principal. Students will be removed for not showing proper behavior, with disciplinary penalties. # CHANGING SCHEDULES Schedules for existing students will be made at the Spring CAP conferences with the assistance of the student and parent. Every effort is made to honor the course requests made by the student and parent at CAP. Unfortunately, due to high enrollment, it may have been necessary to make minor changes to the requested schedule. Schedules for new students will be made upon their enrolling in our school. Once a schedule is set, schedule changes will be limited. No schedule changes will be made after the first five days of the semester. The principal reserves the right to make exceptions to this policy based on individual extenuating circumstances. The following statements are acceptable reasons for requesting a schedule change: 1. If the student failed a second-semester class that they had expected to pass. 2. If the student was inappropriately enrolled in a class. 3. Seniors who must have a course for graduation. The following statements are **NOT** acceptable reasons for a schedule change: 1. To have a different lunch period. 2. To have the same course with a different teacher. 3. To be with another student. # EXITING THE BUILDING PROMPTLY AFTER SCHOOL Due to safety concerns and no assigned supervision after school, when the bell rings to end school, all students are to leave the building promptly. Exceptions would include students attending after-school tutoring with a teacher in a classroom, or students that are required to stay for extra-curricular activities. Those students will have an assigned location to wait. The computer labs will be closed to students as well. Students will be asked to clear the halls soon after the bell rings. Repeated violations may result in disciplinary actions. # MOTOR VEHICLE REGULATIONS Students who find it necessary to drive to school must register the car's current insurance policy and present a valid driver’s license to the office as per District Policy 4.33. Students drivers are asked to observe the following practices. 1. While driving on campus, reduce vehicle speed to less than 15 miles per hour. Speeding, spinning of tires, racing motors, loud music, and honking horns may cause driving privileges to be suspended, as well as possible citations to be issued. 2. Do not drive through the campus. Students are to enter and exit the school grounds via Park Street (the student road south of the High School.) 3. Park your car in the student parking lot immediately upon arrival in the morning and exit immediately to the main building. Once arriving at school in your vehicle, you may not leave campus until your scheduled time to leave. 4. Buses have the right of way. 5. Do not enter or vandalize any vehicle belonging to another person. The penalty is severe. Both school officials and the police will deal with vandalism. Parking off campus and sitting in a parked car (on or off campus) are violations. 6. All students shall use the student parking lot south and west of the school building and park in their assigned space. Violators may be towed at the owner’s expense. Please notify the office if someone else parks in your spot. Do not take someone else’s spot. 7. Parking along the street is a violation. No student will be allowed to park near the high school building. 8. Students must display the school parking tag from their mirror daily. 9. Students should keep doors locked at all times. 10. Any accidents in the parking lot should be reported to the office immediately. 11. Violation of any of the above could result in losing the privilege of driving their vehicle on the school grounds. # PARENTAL CONCERNS If a parent/guardian has a concern over any matter, the parent is encouraged to first, by appointment, address his or her concern with the faculty or staff member involved if applicable. If the concern is not resolved after the initial consultation with the faculty or staff member involved, the parent should then contact the principal for further discussion and resolution. If the concern is with the principal, the parent/guardian is encouraged to address the matter first with the principal before contacting the superintendent of schools. If the concern is a more general concern, the parent is encouraged to contact the principal, dean of students, or counselor. # PARENT, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT-WEST FORK HIGH SCHOOL (6.12.1) West Fork High School understands the importance of involving parents, families, and the community as a whole in promoting higher student achievement and general goodwill between the school and those it serves. Therefore, West Fork High School shall strive to develop and maintain the capacity for a meaningful and productive parent, family, and community engagement that will result in partnerships that are mutually beneficial to the school, students, parents, families, and the community. To achieve such ends, the school shall work to: 1. Involve parents, families, and the community in the development and improvement of academic and extracurricular programs for the school; 2. Have a coordinated engagement program where the engagement activities of the school enhance the involvement strategies of other programs; 3. Explain to parents, families, and the community the State’s academic and achievement standards, State and local student assessments and how the school’s curriculum is aligned with the state’s academic standards and assessments, and how parents, families, and the community can work with the school to improve student’s academic achievement; 4. Provide parents and families with the materials and training they need to be better able to help their child achieve. The school may use parent resource centers or other community-based organizations to foster parent and family engagement and provide literacy and technology training to parents. 5. Educate school staff, with the assistance of parents, in ways to work and communicate with parents and to know how to implement parent, family, and community engagement programs that will promote positive partnerships between the school and parents, families, and the community; 6. Keep parents, families, and the community informed about parent, family, and community engagement programs, meetings, and other activities they could be involved in. Such communication shall be, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents and families can understand; 7. Find ways to eliminate barriers that work to keep parents and families from being involved in their child’s education. This may include providing transportation and child care to enable parents to participate, arranging meetings at a variety of times, and being creative with parent/teacher conferences; 8. Find and modify other successful parent, family, and community engagement programs to suit the needs of our school; 9. Train parents, families, and the community to enhance and promote the involvement of other parents, families, and members of the community; 10. Provide reasonable support for other parental, family, and community engagement activities as parents, families, and the community may reasonably request. In addition to this policy, the school district has developed a parental involvement plan at both the district level and school building levels, as prescribed by Arkansas Act 603 of 2003. These plans, which are reviewed annually, reflect the district’s commitment to parent involvement including the following components: assisting families with parenting skills, communicating about school programs and student progress, recruiting family volunteers, involving families with learning activities at home, including families in school decision-making and collaborating with the community to coordinate resources and services. # PARKING LOT 1. Due to student supervision and safety, no student is to be in the parking lot during school hours without the permission of the principal or his designee. Those who do not follow this policy will face disciplinary actions. 2. Students who meet the regular criteria for being assigned a vehicular parking lot slot will be allowed to paint an approved personal design on their slot as per the standard operation procedures (a detailed copy can be obtained through the high school office) set through the principal’s office and administered by the student council sponsor. No student can paint their slot without the express permission of the student council sponsor nor at any time other than set by the student council sponsor in consultation with the principal. # TELEPHONE With permission from the office, students are allowed to use the telephone in the office only before school, between classes, at lunch, or after school. Students will not be permitted to use any of the other office phones in the school building without the expressed permission of office personnel. Absolutely no phone calls are to be made during class time. If a student becomes sick and needs to call home the secretary or principal will make the call. # LOCKERS/BACKPACKS Each student is assigned a locker that should be kept neat and orderly. Lockers are the property of the West Fork School District and therefore can be searched as per District Policy 4.32. Lockers are school property and you will be expected to utilize them in a careful manner. Jamming of lockers such that they will not lock is prohibited. Decorations, drawings, and etc. should not be displayed on the outside of the lockers without prior approval by the building principal. Personal backpacks used to transfer books to and from school are also subject to searches as per District Policy 4.32. Backpacks should be carried to class or left in the students’ lockers. If left in the locker, the backpack should not bend or damage the locker when closed. Backpacks and personal items should not be left in the halls or on student benches. # WFHS EXPECTATIONS FOR CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR The classroom is certainly the most critical area of an educational institution, and your teachers will insist that your behavior and attitude in the classroom reflect the importance of the serious business of learning. More specifically, they will insist that you: 1. arrive to class on time, 2. are prepared for class with all materials necessary for the class that day, 3. are attentive to the task at hand until dismissed by the teacher, 4. show respect and consideration for others, and 5. demonstrate care and consideration for school property and the property of others. Each teacher is able to establish the rules and procedures for his or her classroom. You are expected to observe those rules and respond promptly to the direction of your teacher. # WFHS GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT Over the years, WFHS has been building a tradition of excellence. As a student of WFHS, you are asked to help contribute to that tradition. By maintaining high personal expectations for success and following the guidelines below, you both increase your opportunities for success and help make West Fork High School an excellent school. 1. Accept responsibility for your education, decisions, words, and actions. 2. Act in a way that best represents your school, parents, community, and self to promote a safe, healthy environment in which to learn. 3. Be active in the school and community. 4. Maintain a balance between academics, co-curricular activities, and community projects, continually giving your best effort to each. 5. Support your fellow students and their activities. 6. Respect cultural diversity, individuality, and the choices and rights of others. These six general principles form the foundation of the code of conduct of WFHS. If you act in accordance with those principles, you will increase the likelihood of experiencing personal success in and satisfaction with school.