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It is essential that the school maintain accurate address and phone records. Parents should notify the Main Office as well as the Academy Office Immediately of any changes in address or phone number.

Regular attendance in school is essential for a quality education. State law required children between the ages of 6 and 16 to attend school. The following are acceptable reasons for an absence: Personal or family illness, Death in the immediate family, Recognized religious holidays, Inclement weather, Doctor’s appointments, Court appearances. Any student who is absent must bring a doctor’s note or a note from a parent or guardian explaining the reason for the absence when the student returns to school. Students must give the note to the first period teacher.

When you arrive at school after 9:45, you need to report to the Academy Administrator’s Office to sign in and receive a pass to class. You need to bring a note from a parent or guardian indicating the reason for being tardy, or be accompanied by a parent to the office. ISSP will be assigned for excessive tardiness.

Early Dismissals are for special circumstances that may occur during school hours such as: Court appearance, Doctor’s appointment, Personal emergency, or crisis Illness. The parent or guardian must send a note to the Academy Office during first period if the student has an appoint and the parent has prior knowledge of the appointment. The parent or guardian must sign the student out in the Academy Office and present photo identification for all occasions of an early dismissal from school. There is no early dismissal after 3:45 p.m.

Students who miss a class for any reason will be given the opportunity to complete the work missed in that class. Students are allowed as many days to make-up missed work, as they were absent. Students are responsible for getting the work from their teachers. All make-up work must be completed and returned to the appropriate teachers for credit.

The school is not responsible for the supervision of students who arrive prior to 9:30 or leave after 4:15 p.m. unless they are involved in a supervised school activity. At 8:45 a.m. all students will report to an assigned area where they are to remain until 9:20 and they are dismissed to begin the school day.  Students involved in after-school sports, assigned to detention, and/or participating in the Team-up Program will be allowed to ride the 6:00 p.m. activity bus. Students who are not picked up in a timely manner will not be permitted to participate in supervised, after-school activities.

You are required to ride ONLY the bus to which you have been assigned and to get on and off at your assigned bus stop. You will not be allowed to ride another bus to go home with a friend except in serious family emergency situations or approval by an administrator in writing. A note needs to be brought to your Academy Administrator on the date of the emergency to secure permission to ride another bus. The note must be given to the Academy Administrator first thing in the morning. Drivers will not allow students to ride an unassigned bus or to get off at a different a stop without parent and administrative approval.

Students riding bicycles to school should walk their bikes while on the school campus. You should park and lock your bicycle to the rack in the designated area behind the school. The bicycle rack is not locked during the day. It is your responsibility to provide a chain and lock. The school will not be responsible for bicycles. The helmet law is enforced. Once bicycles are secured, students are to proceed to the appropriate grade level area. Helmets should be stored during the school day in hall lockers. When school is dismissed, bicycle riders are to report to the bike rack and walk their bikes off the campus.

Students may have the opportunity to participate in various field trips. Parental written consent for participation is required. The Code of Student Conduct governs student behavior on all field trips. Students who are suspended are not permitted to attend field trips, attend dances or attend any other school sponsored activity.

Guidance counselors are available to assist students with academic, career, and personal/social development. Students may consult with a counselor by making an appointment in their Academy Office.

Illness at School: Students who become ill during the day may report to the Academy Office with a pass obtained from their teacher. If necessary, the Academy Office will attempt to contact a parent or guardian by telephone. Parents or guardians must pick up students who are too ill to remain in school after the Academy Office has contacted them. Clinics are only equipped to provide temporary care and are not able to provide all day care for students who become ill.

In the event of a serious accident, parents will be notified immediately by DuPont Middle School personnel. For our students’ welfare, it is very important that the Academy Administrators’ Offices have updated telephone numbers on file at all times. Every effort will be made to render emergency treatment until parents arrive. If parents cannot be contacted, the school will determine if emergency assistance is needed. In the event of a minor accident, parents will be notified to apprise them of the injury.

Medication can be administered only if the parent/guardian has completed all necessary forms required and those forms are on file in the House Office. Medication must be in the ORIGINAL container with an affixed label with student’s name, name of medication, dosage, and time of administration. Students are to turn in ALL medications to the Academy Office immediately upon arrival to school. All medications will be kept in a secured location in the Academy Office.

Staff members can only administer medications prescribed by a physician and/or authorized by a parent/guardian.

School Resource Officer

The SRO Program is a cooperative effort between the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Duval County School Board to ensure the safety on the school campus through intervention and enforcement.

Fire drills will be conducted once a month. Students will exit the building in a single file line. All students will move in an orderly and silent manner to a designated evacuation location where the teacher will take attendance. All absences are reported to the Academy Administrator.

Hall lockers are issued to 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The rental charge is $5. If a lock is lost or stolen, the replacement fee is $5. PE locks are available for rent for $2 from the P.E. coaches. P.E. lockers are separate from hall lockers. STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO “SHARE” LOCKERS! DO NOT GIVE YOUR LOCK COMBINATION TO ANOTHER STUDENT! Locks are to be rented from the school for $5 and returned at the end of the year or upon student’s withdrawal. Locks that have not been issued by the school will be cut off and the locker privilege will be lost. The school is NOT responsible for items left in lockers. Lockers are issued to you as a service and for your convenience, but the school cannot guarantee their security. Additionally, lockers are not your property and may be searched at any time by administration if deemed necessary for the safety and security of the school. You are responsible for the contents in your locker. Textbooks or library materials stored in lockers must be those issued to the owner of the locker. If you vandalize or abuse a locker, repair/replacement charges will be assessed. Specific hall locker times will be designated by the administration. Lockers are off limits except during the specific locker times.

Services and Circulation: Students have the privilege of checking out books and materials from the Media Center. Students also have the responsibility of returning all media material on time. Students may not check out a book for another student. Students may obtain a Media Center Pass from their teacher to visit the media center during the day.

Fines and Fees: Students must pay for the replacement of lost or damaged library and textbooks. Students’ libraries privileges may be limited until appropriate fines are paid in full.

Computer use is encouraged and made available to students for educational purposes. The school retains the ownership of all hardware and software. The school reserves the right to inspect, copy, and/or delete all files and records created or stored on school-owned computers. Students are expected to follow the student code of conduct rules regarding the use of technology and will need to have an Internet use form on file to have Internet privileges at school.

Searches: When school administrators have reasonable suspicion to believe that a student is in possession of, or has within easy access, any form of drugs, drug paraphernalia, weapons, fireworks, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or any alleged stolen property, a search of the student and his/her locker will be conducted. A student shall not refuse a search or impede a search of his person, including without limitation, his/her backpack or pocketbook, locker or desk. School Administrators will not have students disrobe for any type of search. All computers and software applications are property of the school and therefore are subject to review and inspection at any time without suspicion or cause.

Valuables: Students are responsible for any personal items brought to school including but not limited to money and jewelry. Items not necessary for educational purposes should be left at home. Students should refrain from leaving money on or in their desks or in their lockers.

Car Rider Pick Up

Parents picking up their students are to line up in one lane of traffic. It is unsafe for children to cross a lane of traffic to get in a car. Please be courteous and use appropriate protocol for picking up your children after school.

Lost and Found

Items found in the building or on the school grounds should be turned in to the Academy Office. You may reclaim your lost property by identifying it. Books will be returned to the appropriate Academy Office. Please label in particular coats, book bags, and P.E. clothes. Items found in the locker rooms will be placed in the Coaches’ Office. BOOK BAGS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN CLASSROOMS, HALLWAYS, THE CAFETERIA OR LOCKER ROOMS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. This is a safety policy that is in effect as soon as textbooks have been distributed and lockers assigned. Sixth graders will be issued a set of textbooks to have at home and will have access to those books in each classroom. They will be issued a gym locker and lock for storage of P.E. clothes. If they bring a book bag to school after the first week, they will be required to leave it in the Academy administrator’s office until the end of the day. Book bags brought on campus must be stored in lockers as soon as the students enter the building in the morning and cannot be retrieved until the end of the day. All locks used on P.E. and hall lockers must be issued by the school. The rental fee if $5.00 per lock. Private locks will be cut off.

Physical Education

Students are required to change their school clothes for physical education classes. Shorts, t-shirts, and tennis shoes are required. PE uniforms are available for purchase at the cost of $15.00. Students must have a written excuse from a parent/guardian to be excused from class. More than two consecutive excuses will require a doctor’s note to the teacher. Students are also required to rent a locker to store their clothes and valuables in the locker room. PE locker rental is $5.00. (This is in addition to the $5 lock rental for lockers located inside each Academy.)

Planners

Students should use their planner to find helpful information for their classes. The planner is a communication tool for parents and teachers and should be monitored at home on a daily basis. Together, as partners in education, students will be provided knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to lead productive lives. Some uses are as follows: It serves as a place to record your class work and homework on a daily basis. It provides for an effective and regular means of communication between home and school. It allows for monitoring of your participation and progress by parents, teachers, administrators, and you.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports are issued at the mid-point of each quarter, about 20 days from the first day of the nine-week grading period. Parents are requested to review the Progress Report and return it to the Homeroom teacher with any written requests or comments. The parent also should telephone Guidance to request a teacher conference, if necessary.

Report Cards

Report cards are issued at the end of each quarter (nine weeks), except the final report card, which is mailed home. Parents are requested to call Guidance to make appointments for teacher conferences.

Safety Nets

Students are required to participate in a safety net program during the regular school year if they are not meeting promotional requirements. Students will be recommended for Safety Net programs based upon eligibility and will be informed by the school through a written letter, phone call, and/or planner. Early intervention is necessary for academic success.

Enrichment Reading

Students scoring FCAT SSS Reading Level 1 as well as students determined to be disfluent Level 2 are required to take the Enrichment Reading class. Students will automatically be enrolled.

Team-up

Team-up is an after school program designed to provide academic assistance including instruction from teachers in the appropriate subject areas and homework support.

Tutoring

Students may receive additional academic assistance through individual teachers and/or teams.

Parents may request a parent/teacher conference at any time during the school year by contacting the Guidance Department.

Selling any items at school whether it is for personal profit or to be donated to a non-profit organization is prohibited.

Students will be required to wear ID badges at all times while on the school campus. These will be made during orientation and the first week of school. We are also asking our bus drivers to require them for students on their routes. These badges assist us with the security of our school by making it easier to identify trespassers to our campus. The first ID card is issued free of charge. Three paper temporary IDs will be issued at no charge. After receiving three temporary IDs, parent will be notified. Plastic replacements cost $7.00. Students should keep track of their ID to avoid being on the debt list. Many students buy an extra card to keep at school in case they forget the one at home. ID cards are required for admission to lunch. Students without ID’s will not be allowed to purchase food from the cafeteria and instead will receive a brown bag lunch.

In the event that you are assigned to the in-school suspension (ISSP) or out-of-school suspension (OSS) programs, you may not attend any after-school activities on the day(s) of the suspension. This includes all extra-curricular or co-curricular activities on any Duval County Public School campus. Students, who are suspended from school and appear on a school campus without an accompanying parent/guardian, are subject to citation or arrest for trespassing.

The school telephones are for business purposes and are available to students only in emergency situations. If you have an emergency, report to the Academy Administrator, with a hall pass from your teacher, and request use of the telephone. You must receive permission from an adult to use a school telephone.

Textbooks, provided free of charge by the State of Florida, will be issued to all students. This is a loan for the period that you use the textbook and all books should be treated as borrowed property. In the event of loss or abuse of a textbook, whether accidental or purposeful, you must pay for the book(s) or damage in accordance with the cost set by the scale provided by the State. Band instruments, library books, and other school equipment and/or property should be considered a loan for the period you use such equipment or material. In the event of loss, theft, or abuse of any item belonging to the school/district, the charge will be determined by the amount of costs for replacement or repair. When personally owned or rented instruments or equipment are brought to school, the school does not assume responsibility for loss, theft, or damage. That responsibility remains with the student and parents.

When students are involved in sponsored or coached activities that involve after-school hours, transportation is available on an Activity Bus. The bus leaves DuPont at 6:00 PM and follows the approximate routes of DuPont’s daily buses. The Activity Bus does not serve the North-side or West-side areas. Students who are assigned to After-school detention should make arrangements for their transportation before the day of the assigned detention.

All visitors are required to sign in and out at the Academy Office. Parents requesting to visit his/her child’s classes may arrange this through the Academy Office at least 24 hours in advance. Parents who wish to visit their student’s classrooms for any reason must obtain a visitor’s pass prior to entering the hallway. A visitor’s badge will be issued and must be worn while on the school campus. Parents are invited to visit the school regularly and to be involved in all school activities. Students from other schools will not be allowed to visit our campus while our students are still on campus. This includes former students who wish to visit teachers or friends.

A student who is withdrawing from school must notify the Records office and the Academy Office as soon as possible. A parent signature is required on the withdrawal form. All debts and fines must be cleared before transcripts will be forwarded to the new school.