TWIN RIVERS MIDDLE SCHOOL

2300 BRASELTON HIGHWAY

BUFORD, GEORGIA 30519

www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/TwinRiversMS

 

Vision

Twin Rivers Middle School will become a world-class school where students actively seek and participate in diverse learning opportunities that motivate, engage, and challenge them to be successful as they pursue lifelong learning.

 

MISSION

The mission of Twin Rivers Middle School is to inspire a community of lifelong learners to reach their maximum potential while providing, supporting, and pursuing excellence in academic knowledge, skills, and behavior for students and staff resulting in measured improvement against local, national, and world-class standards.

 

BELIEF STATEMENTS

At Twin Rivers Middle School, we believe that students will:

·      learn at their greatest potential.

·      demonstrate honesty, integrity, responsibility, and respect.

·      share in the accountability of their learning.

·      serve as leaders in the classroom, school, and community.

At Twin Rivers Middle School, we believe that the staff will:

·      provide a safe and secure learning environment.

·      challenge each student academically to achieve his/her full potential.

·      model, teach, and expect behavior which promotes honesty, integrity, responsibility, and respect.

·      foster positive relationships with their colleagues, students, and families.

At Twin Rivers Middle School, we believe that the community will:

·      place a priority on learning.

·      share responsibility for student learning.

·      support learning as a life-long process.

·      foster positive relationships with the school.

 

Statement of non-discrimination

Twin Rivers Middle School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age in programs, activities, or employment practices.

 

general information

(arranged alphabetically)

 

academic Assistance program

The Academic Assistance Program (AAP) is offered after first semester to provide interventions as needed to recover a failing grade.  A student must achieve a 70 average in the academic assistance class to continue to be on track for promotion. For students who have successfully completed their AAP class, their grade will be changed to a 70 and a new report card will be sent home.  Students with a failing second semester average for a required course will need to attend summer school.

 

Academic Honor requirements

The following requirements must be met each semester  in order to earn honor roll or high honor roll status.

High Honor Roll - All grades must be in the A range (90 - 100) and conduct and effort grades must be S or E.

Honor Roll - All grades must be in the A range (90 - 100) or B range (80 - 89).  Conduct and effort grades must be S or E.

 

attendance

Regular attendance in school is essential for a quality education. The time missed from class results in loss of valuable educational experiences.  Make 100% attendance a goal for this year. Absences - State law requires that children between the ages of seven and sixteen attend school except for the specific reasons listed below.  In case of a necessary 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 grade level clerk on the day of the student’s return to school. A letter will be sent home from the district when a student has five (5) unexcused absences and when a student has ten (10) excused and/or unexcused absences from school.  The school social worker may be contacted if attendance is a chronic problem.  State law recognizes the following reasons as legal absences:

1.       Personal illness

2.       Death in the immediate family

3.       Recognized religious holidays observed by your faith

4.       Absences mandated by governmental agencies

5.       Instances where attendance would be hazardous

6.       Service as Page in the Georgia General Assembly –

       (student is counted present for the day)

Early Arrivals – Students arriving early MUST have a signed pass by a teacher giving them permission to go to a teacher’s classroom prior to 8:55AM.  If students arrive at school prior to 8:55AM without a pass, they must report directly to the cafeteria.

Early Check-out – Missing instructional time is detrimental to a student’s performance. Parents are urged to make dental, medical, and other appointments before or after school hours.  If it becomes necessary for a student to check out during the day, we ask that parents report to the front office to sign the student out.  Parents will be required to show picture identification in order to check out their students.  The staff cannot accept telephone authorizations to change transportation arrangements for students.  We must have personal contact to verify that the request is from the parent. There will be no check-outs from the front office after 3:30PM.

Tardies to school - When a student arrives at school after 9:20AM, he/she must report to the front office to sign in and get a pass to class.  Students arriving late to school must have a note from a parent indicating the reason for being tardy or must be accompanied by a parent to the office. Excessive school tardies may result in administrative intervention.

Tardies to class – Students should arrive to all classes in a timely manner.  Tardies will count towards student consequences on the team discipline plan.  Excessive class tardies may result in administrative intervention.

 

BUS DISCIPLINE

Standards of discipline on buses must be maintained at all times in order to insure safety.  All school rules remain in effect at bus stops and during bus rides.  Each bus driver has authority with the students riding the bus.  Students are expected to ride the bus to which they have been assigned and to board and depart at their assigned bus stop.  Bus drivers will not allow students to ride an unassigned bus or to get off at a different stop. Students are expected to follow all bus rules and procedures required by the driver. Failure to comply with the following bus rules will result in a bus referral.

1st Bus Referral: 3 day bus suspension

2nd Bus Referral: 5 day bus suspension

3rd Bus Referral:  10 day bus suspension

1.    Students will follow the directions of the driver.

2.    Students will safely wait for, board, and exit the bus at assigned bus stops.

3.    Students will remain properly seated.

4.    Students will keep hands, head, arms, and legs away from windows and confined to assigned seat.

5.    Students will talk quietly.  Loud voices and profanity are prohibited.

6.    Students will not eat, drink, chew gum, or bring tobacco products on the bus.

7.    Students will not bring radios, CD players, IPODs, MP3 players, tape recorders, toys, games, glass objects, and other potentially disruptive items on the bus.

8.    Students will not have out or use cell phones while on the bus.

9.    Students will not throw any objects on the bus or out of bus windows.

If suspended, students must arrange for transportation to and from school.

 

Cafeteria Information:  Breakfast and LUnch Programs

The goal of Twin Rivers’ cafeteria program is to provide high quality, nutritious meals to our students at a price that is affordable to all. Students purchasing meals are expected to maintain a positive balance in their cafeteria accounts.  After 5 days of charging, a student will not be provided a school lunch without payment. Students may pay for meals by the day or in advance by the week, month, or year. Please make checks payable to Twin Rivers Middle School Cafeteria. Parents may also use the online account system of MealPayPlus. MealPayPlus allows you to manage your student's meal account online by making deposits at no cost and creating settings to auto-replenish your account or receive free reminders when the balance is low.

http://www.mealpayplus.com

Students who qualify for free or reduced priced meals should pick up an application from any cafeteria worker or in the front office. 

 

car riders

All car riders must be dropped off at the front entrance in the car rider loading/unloading area.  During afternoon dismissal, parents are asked to turn off car engines while waiting for students.    Students who are car riders need to be picked up at 4:00 PM. Cell phone use is prohibited during car rider pick up.

 

cell phones

The Gwinnett County Board of Education permits students to have in their possession a cell phone on a limited basis.  However, the Board prohibits the use by a student of any personal electronic communication devices during school hours or on a school bus. Cell phones are not to be used during the school day; they should be on mute or turned off during school hours.  Students are responsible for the security of their cell phones.  Students may use their grade level office telephone with teacher permission in order to call home for emergencies.  Parents should not expect students to check cell phones for messages during the school day.

 

clinic services

A clinic worker will be in the clinic each day to help with any serious medical problems that might arise.  Visits should be made to the clinic only when a student is ill.  Teachers will use discretion in permitting visits to the clinic. A student may not remain in the clinic for an extended period of time.  If a student becomes too ill to remain in class, the clinic will contact the student’s parents to have them check the student out of school. Students should not attend school if they have had a fever within 24 hours of school or have thrown up within 12 hours of school.

See MEDICATION for additional information.

 

Discipline - gwinnett county student

conduct policy statement (code jcd)

Teachers will manage their classrooms under the guidelines of the school-wide discipline plan. Please carefully read the Gwinnett County Student Conduct Behavior Code (Policy JCD) located in your GCPS Student/Parent Handbook.  A student in violation of the Gwinnett County Student Conduct Behavior Code will receive disciplinary action.  Disciplinary action may involve one or more of the following steps: (1) Verbal Reprimand; (2)Parent/Teacher Conference; (3) Counseling;  (4) Detention (Teacher or Administrative; (5) Saturday School; (6)Parent/Administrator Conferences; (7) In-School Suspension; (8) Short Term Out of School Suspension from school; and (9) Disciplinary Hearing. Students assigned to In-School Suspension (ISS) or Out-Of-School Suspension (OSS), may not attend after-school activities on the day(s) of the suspension. This includes all activities at all GCPS campuses/events. All parties involved in fights are subject to the following consequences regardless of who started the fight.  First offense is a minimum of 4 days suspension.  Additional consequences may be issued, depending on the circumstances related to the fight (i.e. weapons, severe injuries, etc).  Students who instigate a fight or encourage others to fight will receive administrative consequences.

 

DISCIPLINE PLAN FOR TWIN RIVERS

Twin Rivers will implement a school wide discipline plan in an effort to assist students in correcting their behavior before making a referral to an administrator.  Students are expected to follow all classroom, school, and district rules.

Consequences:

Step 1 Citation:  Warning

Step 2 Citation:  Silent Lunch

Step 3 Citation:  Morning Teacher Detention

Step 4 Citation:  Morning Teacher Detention

Step 5 Citation:  After School Detention

Step 6 Citation:  Administrative Referral

 

6th Grade:  Citations begin again each 9 weeks

7th Grade:  Citations begin again each semester

8th Grade:  Citations remain for the entire year

 

·   Teachers have the authority to change the consequence at any time.

·   Connections teachers have access to the students' citation steps and will utilize the school-wide discipline plan in their classrooms.

·   Teachers have the authority to issue a silent lunch or morning teacher detention without issuing a citation.

·   Administrative referrals can be written prior to reaching Step 6 for rule violations that warrant a referral (i.e. a fight, having a weapon on campus, etc.).

 

see student/parent discipline handbook, gwinnett county public schools for more detailed information.

 

DRESS CODE FOR STUDENTS

Twin Rivers Middle School is a learning environment. It is important that all students dress appropriately for the school setting.  Listed herein are the regulations put in place to help students make the right choices for school appropriate attire.

Appropriate Dress for Students:

1.       Headgear is prohibited at school.  This includes, but is not limited to: caps, hats, hoods, bandanas, wave caps, sunglasses, sweatbands, or any other head covering.  No combs, rakes, curlers, or picks can be worn in hair.  *Exceptions for religious or medical reasons to be granted by the principal.

2.       Any hairstyle or hair color that is disruptive to learning at Twin Rivers is prohibited.  No hair color that is of an unnatural shade is allowed. 

3.       Blouses or shirts need to cover the tops of shoulders.  No halter tops, strapless tops, spaghetti straps, tank tops or bare shoulder tops of any type will be allowed.  Blouses/ shirts that expose any portion of the waist, hips, midriff, or cleavage are not allowed.  Boys are not to wear sleeveless shirts or jerseys.  Boys must wear shirts in P.E. 

4.       All shorts and skirts must be long enough to reach the tip of your fingers when standing with arms relaxed at your side.  Hereafter, this is referred to as the fingertip “test.”

5.       The outer layer of clothing from the waist down must meet all dress code requirements.  This includes but is not limited to skirts or shorts with leggings underneath. Use the fingertip “test” to determine if the outer layer of clothing meets dress code. 

6.       The waistline of all pants, shorts and skirts must be on or above the hips with no underwear showing. 

7.       Holes in clothing must also meet the fingertip “test.”

8.       Students may not wear trench coats or other long coats resembling the style of a trench coat to school.  Students may not wear blankets, capes, or cloaks to school. 

9.       Health regulations and safety factors require shoes to be worn at all times.  Bedroom shoes or slippers are prohibited. 

10.    Pajamas or sleepwear of any kind are not to be worn in school. 

11.    Spandex, nylon tights, leggings, leotards, biker pants, or underwear cannot be worn as an outer garment.

12.    Overalls must fit and be fastened appropriately on both sides. A shirt of proper length and style must be worn under the overalls at all times.

13.    No student shall wear clothing that displays words or symbols that depict violence, smoking, drugs, alcohol, weaponry, sex, gang affiliation, or other illegal activity expressed or implied. 

14.    No student clothing or accessories shall be disruptive or have caused past disruption to the school environment.

15.    Jewelry or accessories that may be used as weapons are not allowed to be worn at school.  This includes, but is not limited to, wallet chains, spiked rings, spiked bracelets, spiked watches, spiked collars, two or three finger rings that are joined and bulky chains worn around the neck or waist.  Sharp objects that could pose a danger such as spikes, nails or safety pins are not allowed on clothing, body parts, or book bags.  Mouth grills are not appropriate and are not be worn at school.

16.    All belts must be worn properly fastened around the waist. The belt should not be excessive in length.

17.    Gang Related Attire: Students are not allowed to display clothing or symbols that have been identified by the Gwinnett County Police Gang Taskforce as being commonly identified with gangs.  Garments, scarves/bandanas, jewelry, body art/tattoos that communicate gang allegiance are not allowed to be worn in a manner that communicates gang affiliation. This rule is subject to updates as additional wearing apparel becomes identified as gang affiliated or disruptive. 

18.    Exceptions to the Twin Rivers Middle School dress code may be made by the Principal or her designee for specific reasons.

19.    Parents and students should consult the TRMS website to be informed about additions or changes to the dress code rules.

 

Drinks

Students may bring water from home to have during class.  Colored drinks are not allowed in the classrooms.  Juice boxes are allowed during breakfast and lunch times only.

 

extra-curricular activities

Eligibility for participation in any extra-curricular activity will be based on grades earned during the semester prior to that activity.  Criteria for participation will include academic, conduct, and effort grades.  A student must maintain satisfactory grades in all three areas in order to represent Twin Rivers Middle School as a participant in extra-curricular activities.  It is the student’s responsibility to know the requirements for the various activities and organizations.

 

grading

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

Students are expected to earn their grades on homework, class work, and assessments based on their own performance.  Cheating is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary consequences.

 

homework

The faculty and administration of Twin Rivers Middle School believe that homework is a valuable learning experience. Through homework, students have the opportunity for enrichment, extension, and/or remediation of instructional goals and the opportunity for practice of basic skills. Through a strong home-school partnership, homework has the potential to increase learning time, to accomplish academic goals, and to advance the student’s academic skills and achievement. Students and parents should check the teachers’ web pages on the Twin Rivers website to access the latest information regarding homework and class activities.

 

lockers

Students should be sure that clothes or other valuables are never left unattended and are locked away securely when not in use. The school CANNOT be responsible for items left in lockers.  Lockers are issued to students as a service and a convenience, but the security of the lockers cannot be guaranteed by the school.  Additionally, lockers are not the students’ property and may be searched at any time by administrators without the student’s consent.  Each student is responsible for the contents of the locker. If a locker is vandalized or abused, additional charges will be assessed.

 

make-up work

If a student is absent for several days, a parent should call the grade level office and request assignments.  Twenty-four hours notice is required for teachers to prepare assignments.  These assignments may be picked up in the front office. 

 

media center

Media Center hours are from 8:50 am to 3:50 pm.  The Media Center is open throughout the school day for book checkout, research activities, and multimedia services.  Students have access to the online media center catalog, as well as a variety of reference resources, including online encyclopedias and informational databases.  Database passwords for at-home access are listed on the Online Research Library page of this agenda.  Students may use the Media Center on Help Day from 8:25 am to 8:50 am with a signed agenda.

 

medication

In an effort to better ensure the safety of students, all medications (prescription and nonprescription) must be delivered to the school clinic or office by the parent or guardian.  In addition, medications must be accompanied by the GCPS “Administration of Medication Request” form completed by the parent.  Medications must be in the original, childproof container. Prescription medications must be in the labeled prescription bottle.  Containers will be sent home with the student when empty; however, the refilled medication must be returned by the parent.  Medication remaining at the end of the school year must be picked up by parents.  Unclaimed medicines will be discarded at the end of the school year. Whenever possible, medications should be administered at home.

 

personal property restrictions at

school

Any personal property that causes a disruption in school or on the bus will not be permitted.  Radios, tape recorders, tapes, CDs and players, IPODs, MP3 players, laser pointers, electronic games, and all other toys are not allowed at school.  Should these items be brought to school, they will be taken up and parents will be asked to come to the school’s office to claim the property.  These items do not belong at school, and staff will not devote time to recover stolen items.   The school will not be responsible for personal property, including property brought to school for instructional projects.

 

promotion criteria

To earn promotion:

Sixth Grade students must pass 4 of 5 subjects (two of which must be Math and Language Arts) with a minimum grade of 70% each semester.  Connections class grades will be averaged together each semester to equal one grade.

Seventh Grade students must achieve a passing score on each of the following: CRCT – Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.

Eighth Grade students must pass 4 of 5 subjects (two of which must be Math and Language Arts) with a minimum grade of 70% each semester. Connections class grades will be averaged together each semester to equal one grade. Also, students must achieve a passing score on the following:  CRCT-Reading and Math and the Georgia 8^th Grade Writing Assessment.

Summer School Opportunity - allows a student to make up for a semester failure, but not for a year-long failure in a particular subject.  Middle school students attending summer school will take a maximum of two classes for promotion.

 

report cards

Progress reports are issued at the 6^th and 12^th week of each semester, and report cards are issued at the end of each semester. Connections grades will be issued at the end of each nine weeks.  each student receives numerical academic grades and 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/guardian and returned to the homeroom teacher.

 

telephone use

The school phones are for business purposes.  Students need to have their agenda signed by their teacher to use the phone.  Arrangements to stay after school for activities must be made before arriving to school.  Only urgent telephone messages from parents or guardians will be delivered by an office representative.  Students will not be called out of class to receive a phone call.  Students who are ill need to call a parent from the school clinic.

 

textbooks, instruments, and school property

All books and CDs issued to students should be treated as borrowed property.  In the event of loss or abuse of textbooks and/or agendas, whether accidental or purposeful, students must pay for the book(s) in accordance with the scale fixed by the Board of Education.  Students who have books with missing barcodes may be required to pay the replacement charge for the book if it is determined that positive identification is not possible. Band instruments, library books, and other school equipment and/or property should be considered a loan for the period the equipment or material is in use.  In the event of loss or abuse of instruments, equipment or property, restitution will be determined by the amount it costs for replacement or repair. When personal instruments or equipment (owned or rented) are brought to school, the school cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage. Students and parents are responsible for such equipment.

 

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES

Students are not allowed to ride the bus home with other students except in cases of extreme emergency.  Emergencies do NOT include the need to work on projects together, spend the night plans, ball practice, etc.  If there is an emergency situation, such as parents are called out of town suddenly due to a death in the family, these procedures should be followed: 

1. Bring a signed note from a parent to the grade level office by 10:00 a.m. The note should include:

• Permission to ride home with the friend’s name
• Reason why this is necessary
• The bus route number of the friend, if known
• A daytime telephone number where the parent can be reached for confirmation (THIS IS A MUST) 

2. Once a parent has been contacted and the bus note approved, the grade level clerk will complete a bus pass, which the student can pick up during bus dismissal. If the note is not approved, the clerk will notify the parent and student during the day. 
3. If the grade level clerk does not talk to the parent and verify the note by 3:00 p.m. then the student will have to ride his or her usual bus route. 

 

visitors

To ensure safety and security at Twin Rivers, all visitors are required to report directly to the main office and to sign in with the office clerk.  A visitor’s badge will be issued, and the visitor must wear the badge on the school campus. Parents are invited to visit the school regularly and to be involved in all school activities. Students from other locations will not be allowed to visit during instructional time or to attend student social activities.