School Handbook

Dear Parents and Guardians,
 
   Welcome! My name is Ben Mitchell, and I am the proud principal of the Gateway Alternative Program. I have been serving in the field of education for nearly thirty years. I am excited to be serving the Gateway students, parents and staff. I look forward to working with you to help your child meet the shared goals that we established together.
 
As the principal at Gateway, I have one simple goal for all who enter our school building. 
“I want people to become better versions of themselves.”
This may sound simple and possibly even cliché, but the work is actually applying it to your daily actions, interactions, and conscious deeds with others to actually make it become a reality.  We will take a “Whole Child” approach when we interact with your student. What does the whole child approach mean? 
•    The Whole Child Approach
o    Each child deserves to be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, challenged, and feel like they belong.
o    We support the Whole Child through Grace and Accountability
o    We want students to learn the concepts of grit, ownership, respectful communication, empathy, employability skills, and resilience
o    We will advocate for students to become their best selves by coaching them up
“Uncoachable kids grow up to become unemployable adults.”
Along with the teachers and staff, I will work hard to build strong relationships with you, your child and the community. We will focus on social and emotional skill building, effective communication, improving academic deficits, improving missing skills (patience, respectfulness, understanding our triggers, etc.), and developing our “superpowers” (positive skills we already have that make us unique).  

This handbook is intended to aide parents/guardians and students to understand the procedures, policies and regulations at Gateway. While Gateway has a specific process designed to meet the needs of the students assigned, the program is still regulated by USD 259 Board of Education Policies. Therefore, this handbook is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of rules and regulations. Please refer to our district’s website at http://www.usd259.org for more information. Items that fall outside those listed in the handbook will be handled at the discretion of the administration based upon BOE policies and what’s best for our building. 
All of us here at The Gateway Alternative Program bring enthusiasm and hopefulness into every school year. This year is sure to have some milestone moments when our students are their best selves and can celebrate their growth moments. This year will also have some moments when any of us can attest that we were not the best representation of who we are or what we can be. My goal as the building leader is to have all of us grow and learn from both sets of experiences. Our passion is to work with every student that enrolls at Gateway to become a better version of themselves. We realize that you have made some mistakes in the past. Our hope is to learn from those mistakes. You and your child should always feel welcome here as we focus on today and tomorrow, not on the past. My door is always open, and I welcome your input.  Please feel free to call or email me to discuss any concerns you might have throughout your child’s assignment.
 

Best Regards,
Ben Mitchell, Proud Principal Gateway Alternative Program/Hearing Officer 
 

School begins at 6:45am and dismisses at 1:30pm.  Students are allowed to enter the building at 6:45am.  

Bus riders will enter the building and report immediately to Advocacy.
Students that are dropped off will not be allowed in the building until 6:45am.  All students arriving late must sign in at the main office. Students will stow all coats, jackets, and backpacks in their lockers.  Parents picking up their student after school should park in the parking lot to avoid bus traffic.  Dismissal is at 1:30pm and your promptness is appreciated.  

SCHOOL DAY
•    All students will be scanned or searched upon entering the building
•    All bags and backpacks will be searched upon entering the building.
•    Students will enter and exit through the front door only, unless escorted out by Gateway staff.
•    Passing periods are 2 minutes long, students should be in their assigned seats before the 2nd bell rings.
•    All passing periods are monitored by staff.
•    Students are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous and considerate manner, follow the student code of conduct, dress code and electronic devices policies while on school property and buses.
 

All students are able to eat breakfast and lunch unless they have a modified schedule. Food items must be consumed in the cafeteria/gym.  No food is to be taken out of the cafeteria/gym.  Students may not bring outside food without prior permission from the office. We encourage our students to nourish their bodies so they are able to focus on learning.  Parents are always welcome to eat with their student here at Gateway however students are not allowed to leave campus for breakfast or lunch.

Breakfast is free for all students this year. 

Lunch fees can depend on family income.

Complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application annually to qualify for free lunch and adjustments to school fees. 

Lunch prices for Middle School are 40 cents for reduced and 2.90 for full price. 

Lunch prices for High School are 40 cents for reduced and 3.05 for full price. 

Please contact our office at 973-3215 if you have lunch or breakfast questions.   

School attendance is critical to student success. All students must attend daily unless they are excused by the building principal. Guardians, please call by 8 a.m. to notify us of all absences. Students considered truant will be reported to the appropriate agencies. It is important to note all students are placed here on probationary status with attendance being one important part of the probationary agreement. 

EXCUSED ABSENCES
A student’s absence may be considered excused at the discretion of the building principal. The parent/guardian must contact the school office by phone at 973-3215 or in person within three days of the absence. The absence must meet school guidelines to be excused. For absences beyond three consecutive school days, or if absences become excessive, a signed note from a doctor must be provided to the school office.  Appointments will be excused for the time of the appointment plus travel time only.  School is out at 1:30pm. Parents are encouraged to make all appointments after school hours.

TARDIES
Tardiness is unacceptable. Students are expected to arrive at school at the beginning of the school day on time and are expected to pass from class to class in the allotted time without being late for class. Students who arrive late to school must report to the office immediately after entering the school.  Students who arrive late due to a bus problem will not be counted as tardy.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Student has missed one day: Parent/Guardian will receive an automated call if the school hasn’t been notified. 
Student has missed three consecutive days: The Attendance Clerk will call the parent/guardian and notifies the administrator that the student has unexcused absences for three consecutive days. The Attendance Clerk will send home a letter indicating that should the student continue to be absent, there will be a report filed with district attorney’s office for students ages 13 and older. A report is submitted to DCF when the student is 12 years of age and younger. 
Student has missed five unexcused days: The Attendance Clerk will send out a letter stating that the District Attorney or DCF will be notified of the unexcused absences. 
Note: The appropriate authorities will always be contacted for truancy as defined above.
 

Riding the bus is a privilege and students choosing to disobey the bus driver, bus rules, or jeopardize the safety of others will be removed from the bus. Students can be suspended from the bus for a few days or permanently. Respectful and appropriate behavior on the bus is always expected.  Students must understand all rules that apply in school also apply when students are on the bus.  This includes the bus stop, riding the bus, and the drop-off of students. 

The district does offer the FirstView app that helps families track their student's school bus. Families will need a security code from the school office to use the app.

For late bus or lost items please call First Student at 832-9231.  For all other issues please call the office at 973-3215.

STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DRIVE TO SCHOOL.  If they are not eligible for a bus they will need to be dropped off and picked up by a Parent/Guardian, ride the city bus, bike or walk.
 

All students are expected to dress appropriately and modestly for school. Staff will work with all students so that they are in compliance. Students out of compliance will have the opportunity to make corrections at school or by calling a parent to bring them clothing. Students will work in the refocus room until they are dressed appropriately.  1st hour teachers will address all dress code issues.  Appropriate support staff or security will be notified for extreme cases.  Not all dress code matters can be addressed in this handbook. Students choosing to dress appropriately for a school setting will not have problems in meeting the dress code requirements. Do the right thing and come dressed modestly and appropriately for school.  

General Guidelines 
•    Undergarments must be covered. Undergarments is defined as other clothing worn under outer pants or tops. 
•    Clothing that advertises and/or suggests offensive material will not be allowed. For example, clothing promoting sex, militias, guns, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, racial slurs, or gang connotations (no bandanas)
•    Clothing that exposes excessive skin will not be allowed. 
•    Pants that are considered leggings, jeggings, or yoga pants must be school appropriate
•    Hoodies and hats are allowed 
•    Administration has final discretion on all dress code issues. 
       
 Dress Code Violation Consequences
1.    1st hour teacher will assist the student in complying with the dress code.
2.    Support staff will assist the student until the student complies with the dress code.
3.    Student will work in the refocus room until they comply with dress code.
4.    Students refusing to comply with the dress code will be sent home.

CELL PHONES & ELECTRONIC DEVICES (Middle School/ High School)
•    All cellphones and personal electronic devices (PED, i.e. headphones will be checked in with admin/security upon arrival to school every day (no exceptions). At the end of the day admin/security will redistribute the devices back to students.
•    If parents or students do not want to comply with this cellphone policy, then they should instruct their student to leave their cellphone at home.
•    If parents need to speak to their student during the school day, they can call the main office 973-3200.

Cell phone violation consequences
1.    Students who choose to violate this policy will be asked to wait in the refocus room until they decide to comply with the Gateway cellphone and headphones policies. 
2.    Students refusing to comply will have a mandatory phone conference with a parent, admin (or the behavior interventionist, security) to discuss compliance with the policy; if the student fails to relinquish the phone then they will remain in refocus and suspended the following day until an in-person parent conference can be scheduled
3.    A third offense become automatic in-school suspension for the remainder of the day; any subsequent offenses become out of school suspension
 

All students have the opportunity to use the restroom in the cafeteria during Breakfast and Lunch.
Restrooms breaks will not be given during passing period.
No students are allowed to use the restroom during the first and last 10 minutes of class.
Requests to use the restroom during class are granted only if a staff member is available.
No more than one student is allowed in the restroom at a time.
 

By BOE policy, medication is administered at school only upon written request from the parent and a licensed physician or doctor.  This includes both prescription and over the counter medications.  The medication must be brought to the school in the correctly labeled container.  If at all possible, medications should be taken before arriving or after leaving school. Please see the office for questions or to obtain the correct forms.  
 

DAILY POINTS
Students will have the opportunity to score 2 points in the categories of Attendance, Participation, and Completed Work in each class for a total of 6 points each period and cumulative total of 54 by the end of the day in all nine classes. 
If students have been removed from class for the hour this will instead be filled out by the teacher or support staff for a total of 290 points possible per week. Students will be identified as being on Gold level if they have received (85-100%) of the total points for the week, Silver (75-84%), Participant (74% or below). Activities and Rewards will be available to students based on their point level. 

Attendance
2 =    Student was in class on time and stayed all hour. 
1 =     They were in class for any length of time.
0 =    They didn’t come to class at all. 
Participation
2=     The student stays engaged with instruction 90% or more of the time.
1=     The student stays engaged with instruction 50- 90% of the time.
0=     The student is engaged with instruction less than 50% of the time.
Complete Work
2 =    The student participates and completes the work assigned that day.
1 =     The student participates and completes some part of the work assigned that day.
0 =    The student does NOT participate or complete any of the work assigned that day.

Disruptive/Defiant behavior will result in the student being removed from the learning environment.  Student may be placed at a reflection table or refocus room for a period of time as determined by the teacher or security.  If defiant/disruptive behavior becomes chronic, additional disciplinary measures will result. Support staff and Security will work with any student who is struggling behaviorally to try and work out any issues so that the student can remain at school if possible.  If the student cannot redirect after a reasonable amount of time and continues to disrupt the learning of others, they will be sent home.
Incident Report
The teacher will complete an incident referral for disruptions that require attention from the support staff/principal.  Consequences for an incident report include:
•    Verbal Warning
•    Phone call to Parent 
•    Removal from classroom (short term or long term)
•    Student conference with principal/support staff and/or parent
•    In school suspension
•    Lunch detention
•    Restitution/Community service
•    Out of school suspension 
•    Return to hearing office