Parents who transport their children to and from school should use the front driveway or the east side parking lot.    Seventh and eighth graders enter the building at the I Hall door at 9:00 (at 8:15 when coming in for tutoring, these students use the front door), and sixth graders exit their cars along the side walk and then walk to the front of the building.  Parents and visitors are allowed to enter the building at the front door only. If the front circle is void of yellow buses, parents and visitors may enter the circle drive to allow children to come into the building.  The driveway on the west side is for buses only.

 Parents and visitors may not park along the curb on Shiloh Middle property after 3:30.

State law requires that students between the ages of seven and sixteen attend school and recognizes only the following reasons as legal absences: personal illness, death in the immediate family, recognized religious holidays observed by your faith, absences mandated by governmental agencies, instances where attendance would be hazardous, and service as a Page in the Georgia General Assembly.

 In case of any absence from school, a student must bring a written excuse from a parent or guardian stating the reason for the absence. This excuse must be given to the homeroom teacher when the student returns.  New federal and state guidelines require that a school  maintain written documentation for each excused absence.              

Early Check-out - In order to prevent unnecessary disturbance in the classroom, parents must report to the office to check out students. PLEASE DO NOT GO TO THE STUDENT’S CLASSROOM. Office personnel will call the student from class.  Only persons listed on the clinic card, with proper I.D., will be permitted to check out a student. For your child’s safety, no student will be allowed to check himself out, walk home, or leave the campus without confirmed parental permission. Student check out may not occur after 3:30 except in the case of extreme emergency. 

Late Check-In - Students arriving at school after 9:20 must report to the front office. The student must be accompanied to the front office by a parent.

Students with excused absences will be given 24 hours from the day he/she returns, to make up work. It is the student’s responsibility to ask the teacher for any missed assignments.

Gifted classes are available to identified students. An intervention reading class is also available during connections time to targeted students. During an academic class, remediation and extension also occur daily.

The Language Arts curriculum is an integrated approach in which the facets of reading comprehension, literature and novel study, composition, usage and grammar, spelling, listening and public speaking are taught within a block, but enmeshed throughout the total curriculum.

The Mathematics curriculum in grade six emphasizes a broad range of topics (number concepts, estimation, computation, patterns and functions, geometry, measurement, algebra, statistics and probability) taught as an integrated whole. Students take Pre-Algebra in grade seven and most students take algebra in eighth grade. Curricular goals for all students include learning to value mathematics, becoming mathematical problem solvers, learning to communicate mathematically, and learning to reason mathematically.

The Science curriculum in grade six covers topics in physical science; the course of study in grade seven is life science and in eighth grade the study is earth science. The process skills of science are emphasized in all grade levels.

The Social Studies curriculum centers around challenges in a global society. A two year world studies block (grades six and seven) provides students the opportunity to examine the world today. The third year is an examination of Georgia’s connections to the world. Map and globe skills and social studies process skills are emphasized in all grade levels.

a.  reinforce academic skills introduced in the classroom
b. increase learning time (time on task) thereby increasing achievement
c. communicate the curriculum to parents
d.  encourage self-discipline in students
e. provide for different rates and styles of learning. 

We believe that skills and concepts are reinforced through assignments completed outside the school. Through homework there is the opportunity for enrichment, extension, practice of basic skills, and/or reinforcement of instructional goals.

Homework becomes more valuable when there is a strong partnership between home and school. The role of the home is to provide support, encouragement, and a place to complete homework.  The role of the school is to assign meaningful homework.  Through a strong home-school partnership, homework has the potential to increase learning time.

Report cards are issued at the end of each nine weeks, and mid-term progress reports are issued midway through the nine week grading period. Mid-term reports will contain grades for six subjects. Parents need to contact the child’s homeroom teacher if a report is missing.

The Gwinnett County Board of Education has adopted the following grading scale:
A = 90 - 100
B = 80 - 89
C = 74 - 79
D = 70 - 73
U = Below 70
A student receives conduct and effort grades of E (excellent), S (satisfactory), N (needs to improve), or U (unsatisfactory). The report card envelope should be signed by a parent or guardian and returned to the homeroom teacher at mid-term and at the end of each term.

In middle school all conferences are held with the entire teaching team, if at all possible.  Individual teachers do not meet with parents due to the nature of the teaching team working with the student in all areas.

The counselors visit the classrooms at the beginning of the year to explain how appointments are made.  When a class is missed for a counseling appointment, the student must make up classroom work. 

Counseling and guidance services are part of the regular curriculum; parents will need to notify the school in writing if their child is not to participate in services. 

Parents are invited to attend our parenting seminars and parenting courses.  Conferences with the grade level counselor can be scheduled to discuss issues and concerns.  Community based referral suggestions are available for both private tutoring and counseling needs.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Students may not bring CDs, CD players, electronics or any toys to school.

The staff of Shiloh Middle School defines cheating on any assignment/assessment as follows:

1. Student talking to a neighbor during an individual assessment. (All questions and         conversation shall be between the teacher and the student).
2. Student looking at a fellow student’s  paper/information.
3.  Student giving answers/information to a fellow student either verbally or in writing.
4.    Student possessing or using a cheat sheet, or any form of written answer.
5.    Student copying a fellow student’s assignment.
6.  Student using book or class notes during an individual assessment unless otherwise specified by the teacher.

 At the first incident of cheating a private conference will be conducted with the student to determine the cause for cheating. Teachers may provide an alternative assessment in lieu of a “0”. Parents will be notified.  Documentation will be made of the incident in team minutes.

 Upon the next incident of cheating a private student-teacher conference will be conducted, and an automatic “0” will be recorded for the grade.  Parent contact will be made.

 Any further incidents of cheating will result in disciplinary action.

As defined by the Scholastic Children’s Dictionary (Scholastic, Inc., 1996) to plagiarize is "to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one’s own". Acts of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following types of acts:

• copying another person’s paper

• buying (or downloading for free) a research paper from the Internet or other type of service

• turning in a paper that someone else has written for the student

• paraphrasing material from a source without giving proper credit

• copying materials from a source and giving proper credit, but leaving out the quotation marks

Plagiarism includes the new version of copying, "cut-and-paste" from electronic sources. Students complete research by taking notes in phrases and then organize materials and information to suit their own needs. Students always cite the sources of their information. Shiloh Middle provides a bibliography format for print and non-print (electronic) sources. If a student needs to cite a source that is not covered in the provided bibliography format, he should consult his teacher or a media specialist.

A student who plagiarizes will receive an appropriate consequence. Teachers may give the student a "0" on the assignment. Parents will be notified.

Students may not use rolling book bags.

Students are expected to dress in a manner that is supportive of a positive learning environment. No student shall dress in a way as to distract from the learning process of other students.

The following articles of clothing are not to be worn at Shiloh:

• Tank tops, tops that reveal any midriff, fishnet clothing, or visible underclothing.

• Clothing that depicts or symbolizes offensive words or designs, drugs (including alcohol and tobacco), violence (blood, death, weapons), sex, or hate groups.

• Skirts, shorts, or pants that are immodest, too short, sagging, or reflect gang activity.

• Hats, bandanas, sweatbands, visors, or sunglasses.

• Chains, dog collars, or gang-related jewelry, body piercing.

• Other appearance that is deemed distracting or disruptive is unacceptable. This may include unnatural hair styles, hair color, make up or dress.

Students are not allowed to display clothing or symbols that have been identified by the Gwinnett County Police Task Force as being commonly identified with criminal gangs.  Garments, jewelry, body art and tattoos that communicate criminal gang allegiance are not allowed to be worn at school, and no item may be worn in a manner that communicates criminal gang affiliation.  Criminal gang-related attire includes, but is not limited to the following:

wearing clothing in an asymmetrical pattern such as rolling up one pant leg, wearing a dominant color every day of the week, long bulky chains and necklaces, gang-styled belt buckles, jerseys with the numbers 8, 13, 14 or 88 (or any other numbers that have been deemed as gang related), large oversized pendants or necklaces and chains, bandannas, altering clothing from its original form to change the names and/or intended marking on the clothing, sweatbands and/or headbands, draping articles or clothing, towels, or other objects out of pants pockets or over the shoulder or neck area.  In addition, students are not allowed to shave their hair or eyebrows in patterns related to gang activity. 

Shiloh Middle reserves the right to amend and change the dress code whenever additional items disrupt the learning environment. 

Procedure:  Students who choose to wear distracting articles of clothing or have distracting appearance will be sent to the office to call their parents so the parent can be notified of the dress code violation and can bring a change of clothes.  If parents are unavailable, students may be isolated for the day. Parents will be notified of the problematic clothes.  Repeated violations will result in discipline action.

In order to help care for our school, no gum is allowed on campus.

Intramurals - Activities include the intramural program, which is an extension of the physical education curriculum and is available during fall and spring quarters for both girls and boys.

Basketball and Cheer leading  - Girls and boys basketball teams, as well as cheerleaders, are selected from 8th grade students.

Student Council - Each year officers are elected from the student body at large.  The four main offices are divided among the grade levels.  Each homeroom elects a representative and an alternate.  These students then form the Student Council.

Destination Imagination - Students represent Shiloh in a creative problem-solving competition.

Pep Club - Sports fans cheer our teams to victory.  When our Pep Club attends an away game, we often have more fans present than the home team!

LIMITED Club -“Life Is More Important Than Entering Drugs”.  This club promotes a drug-free life style.

Special Club - The Special Club supports the special education students in our school.

Junior Beta Club - This is an honor organization that invites students in 7th and 8th grades with high academic, citizenship, and effort grades to join.  Students who maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and all E’s and/or S’s in citizenship and effort may participate.

Math Counts - A math club for everyone, based on materials created by Math Counts, Inc.

Chess Club - Students engage in lively competition and learn the rules of chess.

Computer Club (Level 21) - students learn the ins and outs of a computer design, program design and problem solving.

FABulous Book Club - students snack and discuss different books and genre.

Community of Readers - parents, students, and staff read books based on a selected grade-level list.

National Academic League - students compete using their academic knowledge.

Future Problem Solvers - students compete with higher-level thinking skills.

Environmental IQ Bowl - students compete with GCPS mid. schools using  environmental knowledge.

Parents who choose to transport to or pick up their children after school are asked to abide by the follow guidelines set by the GCPD, the health and safety committee of our PTSA, and the SRO for our school cluster:
* Students may not enter nor exit a car on Shiloh Road.
* Parents may not U turn on Shiloh Road or on school property.
* Students may exit from or enter a car at the curb on our property.
* Students must not cross lanes to come into the school or enter a car. They must only exit and enter at the curb adjacent to the school.
* Students may cross to the other side of Shiloh Road only at the crossing with the adult supervisors. If students choose, they may walk on the middle school side of Shiloh Road down to Ross Road or Bethany Church Road to cross at the corner. No one may cross between corners.
* Parents are asked to avoid pick up anywhere except the Parent Pick up line that is on Shiloh Middle property and Shiloh Road.
* Parents may not park along any curb at Shiloh Middle School after 3:30.

When students are involved in after school activities, transportation must be arranged in advance. The school provides no transportation for after school club meetings and practices.  Parents are expected to pick up their students within 15 minutes following the conclusion of any activity.  Students who are not picked up within a reasonable time may be prohibited from attending the next after school function.  Parents and students should not depend upon a phone being available for students to call when an event ends.

A clinic worker will be in the clinic each day to administer medication and help with any serious medical problems that might arise. If a student becomes too ill to remain in class, the clinic worker will contact a parent or guardian to come for the student.

In the event of a serious accident, parents or guardians will be notified immediately. For security, it is very important that the school office have updated telephone numbers on file at all times. Every effort will be made to give emergency treatment until parents arrive. However, the school can not be responsible for subsequent treatment.

Our clinic strictly complies with State of Georgia and Gwinnett County Public Schools guidelines for administering medications.

 Students must have the Administration of Medication Request form completed and signed by a parent or guardian before any medication (over-the-counter or prescription) will be dispensed. No over-the-counter medications are provided by the school nor are they dispensed in the clinic.  All prescription medications must be clearly identified and supplied in the original container with instructions. NO LOOSE PILLS   OF ANY KIND WILL BE ACCEPTED IN A BAGGIE.

Inhalers may only be carried with the student if the doctor supplies a letter specifically stating that the student “must carry the inhaler at all times.”  Otherwise, all inhalers must be kept in the clinic.  Injections must have the Administration of Medication Request AND the Injection Permit  Form.  All medication not retrieved by the parent by the last day of the school year will be disposed of in accordance with state pharmacy regulations.

Students who have over-the-counter medicines in their possession will be subject to the discipline procedures as outlined in the GCPS Discipline Handbook. 

School systems in Georgia are mandated by law to screen public school children for scoliosis. Gwinnett County Middle School students are screened by trained parents and county health nurses. All 6th and 8th grade students are screened except those whose parents or guardians object in writing to the screening.

It is not required that students have lockers, but we are happy to provide one to students who pay the rental fee and choose to use one. Lockers are rented for a small fee as a service and a convenience for students. The security of the lockers cannot be guaranteed by the school. Additionally, lockers are not the property of the student and may be searched at any time by the administration without student consent. A student who does not pay the rental fee will not have use of a locker. 

• Student - $ 2.00
• Reduced - $ .40 
• Extra Milk - $ .35
• Side Salad - $ .50
• Ice Cream - $ .50, $ .75, $ 1.00, $ 1.25

• Student - $1.00
• Reduced - $ .30

Shiloh Middle reserves the right to notify parents in the summer packet of information if there is a price increase for the school year 06-07.  Any increase would be approved by the GC Board of Education.

Lunches may be paid for daily or may be paid for in advance for any quantity of days.  If writing a check for lunch tickets, please make the check payable to Shiloh Middle School Cafeteria and indicate student’s name. The purchase of ice cream is available to students who purchase or bring a lunch.

Please be aware that students who have exceeded the minimal charges allowed will not receive a full lunch. They will receive saltines, fruit, and milk until the charges are cleared.  For that reason, we ask that all parents ensure their child pays his/her cafeteria bills so that they can enjoy the full selection of lunchroom and breakfast choices. No charges may be made after April 30, 2006.

Telephones in the offices are for school business. Students will not be allowed to use the telephones for personal use (i.e. get permission to go home with a friend, order lunch, etc.).  Lines must be kept free to conduct school business. A student may use the telephone  for emergency situations. A student’s illness is certainly considered an emergency situation. 

 In accord with the procedures regarding  cell phones, students may not use their own cell phones, that of a friend or teacher in the event of illness.   Any time a student feels ill, he/she must report to the school clinic for evaluation  by our clinic worker, Ms. Nagel.

It is Shiloh Middle School’s intent to have barrier free building and grounds.  Please avoid parking in a way that blocks handicapped parking  or curb cuts.  If any family member who would need to attend conferences is handicapped, please notify the administrators so that arrangements can be made to meet in a barrier free area.  Also, if a student becomes temporarily handicapped due to injury or illness, please let the school know so that all classes are held in barrier free areas.