Navajo Public Schools
2018-2019
Student
Handbook
Proud Past, Promising
Future
Navajo Public Schools Student Handbook 2018-2019
Page 1
Navajo Public Schools Student Handbook 2018-2019
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JUNIOR HIGH / HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY
Shannon Baskett ……………..Computers/Yearbook
Patricia Bryce……Special Education/Cross Country
Tommy Burks ………………Technology Education
Cindy Cross ………………...English Language Arts
Kenna Davis…………………………………….,Art
David Doss……..………….......HS Girls Basketball
Carrie Ann Eveland………………….Social Studies
Amanda Hayes…………Junior High Language Arts
Nicole Keenum…………………………JH/HS Math
Scott McCombs……………...Agriculture Education
Kyle Miller…………Social Studies/Boys Basketball
Justin O’Neil………………………………….Music
Janelle Picinich…….………………………HS Math
Kallie Sager ………..……………...Science / STEM
Shawn Sager…………………………… HS Science
Kriston Shumaker…JH Math/Softball/JH Basketball
Michelle Shumaker……….Library Media Specialist
Danielle Tucker……………….………….Counselor
Brandi Waldroop …………English / Speech /Drama
L. A. Winters…………….. JH Science/Keyboarding
W. Winters..……OK History/Government/ Baseball
Navajo Public Schools
15695 S. CR. 210
Altus, Oklahoma 73521
Phone: 580-482-7742
Fax: 580-482-7749
Web address: www.navajo.k12.ok.us
BOARD OF EDUCATION
President ……………………………Mary Osborn
Vice President ….…………………… Matt Muller
Clerk .…..…………………………Kerrick Hunter
Member ….…………………………… Gary Cobb
Member …………………………… Ryan Howard
ADMINISTRATION
Superintendent ……………………‥Vicki Nance
Junior High School Principal ……… David Doss
High School Principal ……………… David Doss
Elementary Principal ………………. Kari Pryor
ELEMENTARY FACULTY
Pre-Kindergarten………………. Jandi McLaughlin
Pre-Kindergarten .……...……….Michelle Downing
Kindergarten .………….…………... Krissy Froelich
Kindergarten .…………...…………….. Sarah Jarvis
First Grade………………….…….Christina Winters
First Grade……….…..…….......Danette Funkhouser
Second Grade……………….…………Laurey Dunn
Second Grade……….……..………….Sherrie Webb
Third Grade……………….….....…......Kinna Tutten
Third Grade…….….……….……..…….Kelly Davis
Fourth Grade ..……..….…………..Tammy Schaffer
Fourth Grade ………………………..Jennifer Miller
Fifth Grade .…………….....……… Angela Wallace
Fifth Grade .……………..………... Carrie Thornton
Sixth Grade .……………….……... Debbie Hopkins
Sixth Grade .…………….….….……… Dee Warren
Music .………………………..…….…Justin O’Neil
Speech Pathology ..………...………. Amber Jackson
Special Education ..………...….…….Johnna Brown
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
2018-2019
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Basic Information for Parents and Students
The staff of Navajo Schools is happy to welcome you to another school year. We are
providing the following information to you in the hope that any questions that you
have concerning the school will be answered. We encourage you to refer to this
information packet.
School Colors: Red and White
School Mascot: Indians
Superintendent’s Office Number: 580-482-7742
Junior High/High School Office Number: 580-482-7742
Elementary Office Number: 580-477-4240
School time schedule: 7:55 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Route buses arrive at approximately: 7:40 a.m.
Breakfast will be served from 7:35-8:35 a.m. It will be a grab and go breakfast and
some will be delivered to classrooms.
The first bell will ring at 7:50 a.m. The tardy bell will ring at 7:55 a.m.
The bell dismissing students will ring at 3:00 p.m. Route buses will leave the
parking lot at approximately 3:08 p.m.
No school supervision will be available before 7:35 a.m.
When buses start arriving at school, junior high and high school students may sit in the
old gym (junior high students on the north side and high school students on the south
side) or remain in the area immediately between the high school building and the old
gym. Junior high and high school students can get breakfast from 7:35-7:50 and take it
to the old gym to eat. Elementary students will wait outside until 7:50. During times
of inclement weather, elementary students who arrive early will be moved into the
main hall of the elementary building.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
2018-2019
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Navajo Schools Student Policy Information
Absences and Tardies
A student may have a total of 10 absences per semester. A student who misses more than 15 minutes
of class time is counted as absent for the class. A student who has more than 10 absences will receive
a failing grade for that class. If a student is absent in any class more than 10 times, he or she will not
receive credit unless a waiver is granted by the administration. Upon being absent more than 10 class
periods, the parent of a student should send a written request to the school asking for a waiver based
on unavoidable circumstances surrounding the ability of the student to attend school. Absences that
count toward the 10 include unexcused absence (AU), excused absence (AE):
Classification of Absences
All absences shall be classified in one of two ways: excused or unexcused. It is the responsibility of
the parent/guardian to notify the school by 9:00 A.M. if the child is to be absent from school
and give a valid reason for the absence.
Excused: 1) Illness or death in the family;
2) Recognized school or academic activities not
qualifying as extra-curricular;
3) Family crisis or emergency
Excused absences allow the student to make up any work missed within a reasonable amount of time
without penalty.
Unexcused: Truancy, leaving school without permission, suspensions, failure to report to class, etc.
Students receiving an unexcused absence do not have to be given the opportunity to make up missed
work and may be given a zero for the class period(s) missed, whether or not a grade was taken in
regular class. Students suspended from school will be given unexcused absences but will be allowed
to turn in work and take all tests for credit, if done in the prescribed time frame.
Absences may be excused at the discretion of the principal for medical, court, or emergency reasons.
School Tardy Policy: three tardies per class = one absence
Activity Absences (10 Day Rule): A student shall not be absent for activities from any one class
period more than 10 days in one school year. The following activities are exempt: State and
National levels of school-sponsored competitions which have the approval of the Board, field trips,
interscholastic meets, serving as a page in the state legislature, and school assemblies. For any
activity absence over 10 and up to 15, the parent/guardian must request in writing additional activity
absences to the principal and have it approved by the activities absence committee prior to the date
needed. No activity absences over 15 days will be granted.
OSSAA Attendance Rule: A student who has not attended classes at least 90 percent of the time for
the semester in a member school is ineligible. Exceptions may be made by the principal due to
illness, injury, death in the immediate family, or late enrollment with valid reason.
Truancy: A student who is absent without valid excuse four or more days or parts of days within a
four-week period or is absent without valid excuse for ten or more days or parts of days within a
semester will be reported to the student's parent, guardian or custodian and the Jackson County
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
2018-2019
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District Attorney. The parents/legal guardians of the student may also incur legal liability regarding
their failure to compel the student to attend school. (70 O.S.10-106) Any parent or guardian who
neglects or refuses to compel his child to attend school will be referred to the Jackson County District
Attorney. (70 0.S. 10-105)
Announcements: All materials for distribution or display on school property by persons who are not
personnel or students of Navajo Public Schools must be approved by the Principal or designee.
Petitions may not be circulated without the approval of the Superintendent. All messages to students
must be delivered to the office. The student will be given the message at the earliest opportunity least
disruptive to the educational setting.
Student and personnel publications, for example, school newspapers and other school-sponsored
materials that represent the district, are to be submitted to the Principal for review for accuracy and
compliance with district policies.
School Bell Schedule
7
th
-8
th
Bell Schedule 9
th
-12
th
Bell Schedule
7:55-8:55 1
st
Period (Breakfast available) 7:55-8:55 1
st
Period (Breakfast available)
8:59-9:44 2
nd
Period 8:59-9:44 2
nd
Period
9:48-10:33 3
rd
Period 9:48-10:33 3
rd
Period
10:37-11:22 4
th
Period 10:37-11:22 4
th
Period
11:26-12:11 5
th
Period 11:26-12:11 5
th
Period
12:11-12:41 Lunch 12:16-12:41 Homeroom
12:46-1:11 Homeroom 12:41-1:11 Lunch
1:16-2:06 6
th
Period 1:16-2:06 6
th
Period
2:10-3:00 7
th
Period 2:10-3:00 7
th
Period
Bus Transportation: Students participating in school sponsored activities off campus must ride to
and from the activities on school-provided transportation. Exceptions may be made for students who
ride with their parents upon written permission given to the sponsor.
Cafeteria Policy: The District discourages the charging of student lunches. Students that have
charged meals shall not exceed $20 in unpaid charges. If this amount is exceeded and not paid in a
timely manner, then the student will be offered an alternate lunch. Free and reduced breakfast/lunch
forms are available during enrollment and throughout the school year. A new application must be
filled out and signed each year.
Withdrawing from School: Students who are planning to withdraw from school are expected to
report to the office for a withdrawal slip. They will take it to all their teachers, and teachers will sign
the slip if the student has checked in all textbooks and paid all charges. After the slip is signed, the
student will return to the principal's office for his signature and withdrawal procedures are complete.
Checking out of School: Students must check out of school through the office. (Failure to do so may
result in disciplinary action.) Students may only check out of school with the personal permission of
their parent or guardian. Permission must be given in person or on the phone before the student may
be approved to leave school.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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Closing School (Bad Weather): Announcements regarding school closings and delayed opening
times due to bad weather will be made on local radio (1450 AM KWHW AND 93.5 FM KRKZ) and
(KSWO TV CHANEL 7 FROM LAWTON). Postings may also be placed on the Navajo School web
page at www.navajo.k12.ok.us.
College Days: (Applies to Seniors only during the school year in which the Senior will graduate.) A
Senior student will be allowed a day to visit post-high school institutions the student is interested in
attending after graduation. (* A student may visit more than one institution in a day.) The college day
visitation must be approved by the Principal and coordinated through the counselor’s office to be
excused.
Eligibility: A student must maintain academic eligibility to participate in any authorized school
activity. For academic eligibility purposes, authorized school activities include, but are not limited to:
competitive events against other schools; field trips, student activities outside the normal school day;
and, non-classroom activities. A student who is not eligible will not suit up, travel with the team
group, organization, nor sit on the bench or stand on the sidelines. Students must be in attendance at
least 90 percent of the time after the end of the third week of each semester to be eligible for any
activities that would take them out of other classes. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis
by the administration.
(Academic Eligibility) The student must be passing all courses in which the student is enrolled
following the week of academic probation or the student will be academically ineligible to participate
in any authorized school activity. The student remains ineligible until the student receives a passing
grade in all courses. A student regains academic eligibility on the Monday following the week in
which the student receives a passing grade in all courses.
Teachers must calculate eligibility by Thursday morning of each school week beginning on the third
week of each semester. Any work to be included in the computation of a student's grade must be
turned in to the teacher no later than 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Any work turned in after that time will
not be counted for eligibility for the following week. No exceptions will be allowed regarding this
policy.
(Probation) A student must receive a cumulative passing semester grade in all courses at the end of
the third week of each semester, and each week thereafter, or the student will be placed on Academic
Probation for the following week. A student may participate in authorized school activities during the
week the student is on academic probation.
Academic Probation & Ineligibility Outline
1. Failing any course(s) after 3rd week of semester = Probation.
2. Failing any course(s) 2 consecutive weeks = Ineligible.
3. Student remains ineligible until the student is passing all subjects for 1 week. (When the student is
again eligible, steps 1 and 2 are repeated if necessary.)
(Attendance Eligibility) A student must be present in four class periods in a school day to be eligible
to participate in a school sponsored activity that day or night. (* The four class periods do not have to
be consecutive, and if the activity takes place during the school day, the hours involved by the activity
may be counted as part of the four hours of attendance.) Students must be in attendance 90 percent of
the time to be eligible for extra-curricular activities. Students who have too many absences for the 90
percent attendance rule will be declared ineligible until their attendance rate improves.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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Emergency Drills: Severe Weather Signal: two long rings. Fire Signal: The internal fire alarm
system will be activated. Lock Down: intercom announcement.
Severe Weather Emergency: The standard warning for a severe weather emergency shall be two
long rings of the school bell. Because the bell system does not necessarily reach all possible locations
in the school system, a simultaneous warning will be given over the intercom and the telephone
system will be used to notify the ag. and tech. ed. shops, the music building, the portable building, and
elementary school. If conditions allow, students will be moved to the storm shelter located between
the elementary building and Old Gym. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students should enter into
the westmost door -- door 8; 1st and 2nd grade students -- door 7; 3rd and 4th grade -- door 6; 5th and
6th grade -- door 5; 7th and 8th grade -- door 4; 9th and 10th grade -- door 3; and 11th and 12th --
door 2. If conditions do not allow for the safe transfer of students to the storm shelter, students in the
main high school building should move to the center areas of the building in the halls away from the
glass doors. They should sit down against the inner walls and cover their heads if possible. Persons in
outlying buildings should move to the center of the structure, away from windows and doors, and
remain close to a supporting wall or crawl under a sturdy piece of furniture.
Fire Evacuation: The normal fire evacuation signal shall be the activation of the fire alarm system
signal. Also a notification over the intercom system to evacuate the building should be given to reach
those locations where the bell is not adequate. The phone intercom should be used to evacuate the
music building, the ag. and tech. ed. shops, grade school, and portable building. Persons leaving the
building should follow the previously defined evacuation route, stay with their original groups, and
move far enough away from the building to be reasonably safe from fire or explosions. Teachers,
while evacuating their students, should retrieve their grade books and scan the immediate area for
straggling students or unusual objects and immediately upon reaching a safe location, check their
class roles to make sure all students are accounted for. No one should re-enter the building as long as
the fire alarm system signal is activated.
Lock Down: In the event of the need for a total school lockdown the exterior doors for all buildings
will be locked from the inside. Faculty and staff will lock all lockable interior doors. State law
requires one practice drill each semester. Notification will be made by intercom and telephone
intercom. In the event that Altus Air Force Base enters into a lock down status, if the school is
notified before the buses run, students who live on the base will be kept at school until a parent,
guardian, or designated person can pick them up. In the event that the bus routes have already begun
and there are students with no parents available to pick them up at the designated stops, the driver will
bring them back to school until they can be picked up by parent, guardian or designated person.
Entrance Requirements: To gain admission to Navajo Public Schools, a student must be a legal
resident of this district or a legal transfer. The student must be residing with the student's parent(s) or
legal guardian and be willing to abide by the rules and guidelines of the school as maintained by the
Navajo Board of Education.
Transfer Students: A student whose parents are not legal residents of the Navajo school district must
obtain a legal transfer to attend Navajo Public Schools. Regular transfers must be applied for before
the first of April. All other transfers are considered emergency transfers by state law and must be
resubmitted annually.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
2018-2019
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Transfer Application
(1) Fill out transfer paperwork at the Navajo School office.
(2) The superintendent will accept or not accept the student transfer based on the reason for the
transfer application.
(3) Superintendent will notify the student or parent/legal guardian of the transfer request.
Fees: No fees are charged to students for school facility use. Fees may be charged for overdue library
books, classroom materials, etc.
Graduation Procedures: A student may participate in graduation exercises if the student is no more
than 1 credit away from the required credits for graduation at the time of graduation and the student is
otherwise on track with his or her normal graduating class. Students must purchase their own
graduation announcements, caps, and gowns. The Senior Class must provide graduation stage
decorations and purchase the Senior Class Panel. Graduation ceremonies are under the direction of
the Senior Class sponsor subject to administrative and board approval.
These events are formal occasions and require that students, who wish to participate, dress in an
appropriate manner. Appropriate dress for young men is considered to be white dress shirt, tie, dark
colored slacks, and dress shoes. Proper dress for young women is considered to be a dressy dress and
dress shoes.
Graduation gowns are to be formal and unadorned by extra items not approved by the administration.
Students receiving Valedictory or Salutatory honors will be issued gold honor chords and National
Honor Society members will be issued Honor Society capes to be worn on the gowns. No other items
are expected to be worn on the graduation gowns.
Grievance Procedure for Student and Parents
(1) If the issue involves a teacher, the student or parent should address the issue with the teacher. If
the issue is not resolved, the issue should be brought before the principal.
(2) If the issue involves another student or other school personnel, the parties should address the issue
with the principal.
(3) If the issue is not resolved, the parties should bring the issue before the superintendent.
(4) If the issue is not resolved the parties may file for a hearing with the board of education through
the office of the superintendent at least 7 days prior to the next scheduled board meeting. The
decision of the board is final.
Homework: Student homework assignments may be given per the teacher's classroom policy. If a
student is required to be absent from class to participate in an activity or event that qualifies as a part of
our gifted and talented program he/she is not required to complete the daily assignment assigned on the
day of the absence but is responsible for learning the material presented. Students absent without
permission or approved documentation will receive a grade of zero for missed class assignments,
including homework. Students are encouraged to keep up with homework even when not in
school. Teacher’s homework assignments will be listed on the internet. They can be found by
going to the school’s web site at
www.navajo.k12.ok.us
and clicking on the student on-line grade
book link. Students, parents and guardians can obtain their login names and passwords by
contacting the principal’s office.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
2018-2019
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Library: Library procedures and policy are under the direction of the librarian. Fees or fines will be
assessed for damaged, lost, and overdue books and materials. Student records (report cards, diplomas,
etc.) may have a HOLD placed on them until all books and materials are returned or restitution is
made. Students may be liable for destroying or failure to return library materials. (21 O.S.1739).
Lockers and School Property: Lockers are the property of the school and are assigned to the
students for school use. Students should have no expectation of privacy in their lockers nor any other
school property. Students are to use their assigned locker only. Students leave articles of value in
lockers at their own risk. School officials have the authority to search all school property (including
lockers) at any time without notice, and to seize any property prohibited by law or school policy.
Textbooks and other School Property: Students are expected to respect the property of the school
and the property of others. Students are responsible for all school property placed in their care by
school personnel. If a student damages or loses school property including but not limited to text
books, library books, calculators, computing devices, desks, fixtures, etc., he or she will be required to
repay the school the replacement value of the item. Destroyed book covers caused by the student’s
abuse or negligence over and above normal wear may render the book unusable and the student will
be required to pay replacement cost.
Cell Phones and other Electronic Devices: Students are not allowed to have cell phones or
electronic devices out and on during school hours. Cell phones and electronic devices are not to be
used during school hours without the approval of the teacher and should only have permission for
educational purposes. Cell phones may be taken on extra-curricular activity trips with the sponsor’s
and administration’s approval but the sponsor will have control over when and how the item is to be
used. Students found in possession of a cell phone or electronic device during school hours will have
it confiscated and a parent or other responsible adult will have to pick it up at the office. The student
may also face other disciplinary actions. Anything posted on social media during school hours will
result in suspension.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse or Neglect: School officials must report incidents of child
abuse or neglect to the proper legal authorities. 25 O.S.846 A (1) (c),
Nondiscrimination: Navajo Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color,
religion, national origin or handicapping condition.
Promotion and Retention: It is the intention of this policy that students will be placed at the most
appropriate grade
level. This determination is to be based upon documentable evidence as to the
students' ability, level of academic achievement, and social and emotional
characteristics.
Retention should be employed as a last resort only. Factors to be considered are: (1) academic
achievement; (2) chronological age; (3) social maturity; (4) physical development; (5) work & study
habits; (6) attendance record.
Schedule Changes: (High School) No schedule changes are permitted after the third day of each
semester without express consent of the principal and counselor.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
2018-2019
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Student Classification:
5th - 8th grade: A student will be promoted if he or she passes three solid curricular classes
including both math and language arts. If only math or language arts is passed, promotion will depend
on the recommendation of the principal or counselor. Physical education and career skills are not
included as core curriculum.
Freshmen 0 credits
Sophomore 5 credits three of which must be core curriculum
Junior 10 credits, seven of which must be core curriculum
Senior 16 credits, eleven of which must be core curriculum
Any student unable to schedule the remainder of his/her graduation requirements in a seven period
day will not be given senior status.
Vehicles- Students wishing to drive personal vehicles to school must first obtain a valid parking
permit form the principal’s office. (A copy of the parking permit application is printed in the
enrollment booklet.) Students must display their parking decal in plain sight and park only in
designated student parking spaces. Students may park in the student parking lot south of the old gym
or in front of the new gym when space is available. In marked parking lots, students must park in a
designated parking
space. Students parking outside of designated parking spaces will be asked to
move their vehicles and will be subject to disciplinary action. Students may not remain in their
vehicles after the vehicle is parked. The area between the grade school and the main building and
gymnasium is off limits to student vehicles at all times during school hours. For security purposes,
student vehicles parked on or about school property are subject to periodic searches in an effort to
keep contraband and weapons away from the school campus. The student parking lot is off limits to
students during school hours. Students found in the parking lot during school hours without
permission will face disciplinary acti
on. Students found to be driving in a reckless manner or
violating other provisions of this policy will have their driving privileges restricted or suspended for a
period of time commensurate with the offense. Reckless driving will be reported to the proper
authorities.
Visitors - All visitors (including parents/guardians) must check in at the principal's office
immediately upon entering the building and sign the visitor's log. Students are not allowed to have
visiting guests at school during class times.
Activities and Organizations
Clubs and Sports - The various clubs sponsored by Navajo School will have periodic meetings
during and/or after school. Meetings should be scheduled far enough in advance to be placed on the
weekly calendar. Clubs recognized by the school for this school year include:
JH/HS 4-H
CHOIR
FFA
TSA
CROSS COUNTRY
STUDENT COUNCIL
ART CLUB
NATIONAL HONOR
SOCIETY
BASEBALL
BOWLING
SOFTBALL
YEARBOOK
SHOOTING SPORTS
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
2018-2019
Page 11
Academic Bowl Team: Membership is by teacher referral, academic record, and student interest.
Traveling team members and match players will be designated by the academic coach.
Athletics: Students at Navajo have the opportunity to participate in competitive baseball, basketball,
softball, cross country, cheerleading, shooting sports, and bowling. Students may letter in each sport
in the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades upon completion of criteria established by the coach for
participation the previous year. Students may wear bars on their athletic letters or letter jackets to
designate the number of years that they have participated in one or more of the above mentioned
activities representing Navajo High School. Seniors may wear the fourth bar when designated eligible
by the coach. Students who choose to claim status that they have not yet earned may find themselves
not being asked to participate in competitive events.
Cheerleading: Junior high and high school cheerleading squads are selected each year at open try-
outs. Participation is subject to academic and attendance eligibility. Members must comply with
squad rules outlined by the coach as approved by the Navajo Board of Education.
Student Council: Membership includes the President, Vice-President, and Secretary, (each selected
from the Senior Class and voted on by the student body in grades 7 through 12) and two
Representatives from the 12th, 11th, and 10th grades elected by each class and one Representative
from the 9th, 8th, and 7th grades elected by each class. Candidates must be in good standing with the
faculty and the administration in order to be placed on the student council ballot. Candidates must
have no grade below a "C" on their previous year's transcript. Senior candidates for President, Vice-
President, and Secretary must s
ubmit a petition of support signed by at least 25 eligible student voters
and 5 faculty members, (preferably teachers from the previous school year), to the principal's office
the day
before the
election to be an eligible candidate.
Fundraisers: All fund raisers at Navajo High School must have the expressed permission of the
principals. An estimate of needs sheet must be turned in to the office at the beginning of the school
year. To avoid conflict between different school organizations signs and sales which affect the school
or a school organization must be scheduled and given a calendar date. The Superintendent, Principal,
and Sponsor of the organization must approve any money-making project sponsored by the Navajo
School. Classes and organizations will be limited to two fund raisers per year, with seniors having
first choice of projects. Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth grade classes are not expected to have fundraisers.
Freshmen may choose to take up small donations to help defray the cost of flowers, decorations, and
refreshments at their graduation.
Class Sponsors: Class Sponsors will be assigned by the administration.
FFA: Students who are enrolled, or have been enrolled in Vocational Agriculture classes, are eligible
to participate in FFA, pursuant to the local chapter constitution, subject to academic and attendance
eligibility.
Class Parties: A class party is any social affair which is planned during school hours and is under the
supervision of the sponsor or other teacher. Parties must be planned a week ahead of time and put on
the calendar and approved by the principal through the class sponsor. All class members are under the
supervision of the sponsor and parents. If a student does not abide by the rules, he or she will not
attend any more class parties and may be subjected to disciplinary measures. Classes will be permitted
one party per semester. All items purchased by classes must first be approved by sponsor and
principal. All school trips must be well organized, properly sponsored and scheduled in advance
through the Principal's office.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
2018-2019
Page 12
Dances: All school dances are sponsored by the Student Council, except the prom. The prom will be
sponsored by the Junior Class. All school dances must be chaperoned by an appropriate number of
sponsors, including school personnel and parents. Chaperones have the right to refuse entry to anyone
and NO ONE will be allowed to re-enter after leaving. All guests that are not students of Navajo must
be approved by the principal prior to the dance. Student Council sponsored dances are available to all
Navajo Junior High and Senior High students and their dates who must also be at least 7
th
grade or
higher.
Junior-Senior Banquet/Prom: The Jr.-Sr. Banquet/Prom will be held near the end of the school
year. Attendance at the prom is limited to Junior and Senior Class members, sophomore servers, and
their dates. Dates who are not Navajo High School students must have the prior approval of the
administration and be no younger than 14 and no older than 20 years of age as calculated on the day
of the prom. It is the responsibility of the Navajo Student to request the approval. Students must be a
member of the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades to attend. Those attending the prom night activities
must complete the Prom Contract.
Spirit Week: Spirit week activities are under the direction of the Student Council and held during the
week of Homecoming. Each high school class competes against the other high school classes in
various activities during the week for the honor of being the class with the most school spirit. Themes
for spirit
week homecoming
decorations are selected in descending order beginning with the Senior
Class.
Basketball Homecoming King and Queen: The senior class members will select their nominees for
the Homecoming King and Queen from their class. (*For homecoming, Homecoming King and
Queen candidates should consist of three girls for Homecoming Queen and three boys for
Homecoming King.)
The high school and junior high classes, grades 7 through 12, will vote for Homecoming Queen and
King by secret ballot.
Mr. and Miss NHS: The "Mr. & Miss NHS” is under the direction of the Student Council.
Candidates for Mr. & Miss NHS must meet eligibility requirements and be in good standing with the
faculty and administration. The high school student body will vote by secret ballot for Mr. & Miss
NHS from the candidates.
Concurrent Enrollment: Navajo High School students in the 11th and 12th grades may concurrently
enroll at Navajo high school and a college or university in the Oklahoma State System of Higher
Education as a special student, if the student meets the required criteria. Information about concurrent
enrollment may be received from the counselor. Concurrent enrollment information is made available
to each eligible student of Navajo High School each school year.
Navajo High School will transcript concurrent enrolled classes on the student’s transcript. Concurrent
enrolled classes will not take the place of required core curriculum classes here at Navajo but will be
transcripted as elective classes in the area designated. Student grades will count toward the student’s
grade point average and will also be used to calculate the student’s rank toward valedictory and
salutatory honors. Eligible students may concurrently enroll in core college level courses through
Western Oklahoma State College and receive the same status GPA wise as if they had taken those
courses as advanced placement classes at Navajo High School. Approved concurrent classes for
Advanced Placement status include: Mathematics classes at college algebra level or higher, English
Comp I and II, Science classes requiring a lab, and social studies classes in history, geography and
government. Course names may be added or deleted as deemed necessary by the administration. All
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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other concurrent courses will be transcripted with regular GPA credit.
All students are required by Oklahoma statute to be enrolled in six full hours of rigorous study. This
can be a full day of classes at Navajo High School or a combination of classes between Navajo High
School and another educational institution such as vocational technology or college courses. One
class period may be used for transportation to and from the alternate education site. Each high school
credit course is considered to be worth three units and for college courses one credit hour is one unit.
A student is required to be enrolled in a minimum of fifteen units with three units used for
transportation and no more than nineteen units in the combination. No student may enroll in more
than the maximum allowable class load without permission from the administration at Navajo High
School and the other educational institution.
If a student enrolls in a concurrent class and later drops out of the class, he or she will be required to
be placed in class on campus at Navajo. If the drop is made within the first fifteen school days, the
student will receive the grade awarded by the Navajo campus course. If the drop is made after fifteen
school days have elapsed then the student will receive a grade of “NC” for the course listed as the
concurrent enrolled class and the “NC” will count as zero points in the student’s grade point average.
Course Offerings: All students must enroll in a full school day schedule including Concurrent
Enrollment or Vo-Tech unless other arrangements are made with administrative approval. A student
may enroll in only one agriculture class, technology education class, and one art class unless approved
by the principal. All students must complete Eng. I, Eng. II, Eng. III, and Eng. IV to meet the
graduations requirements for Navajo High School. Seniors who are not concurrently enrolled or
enrolled in vo-tech. must be enrolled in at least 4 core solids the first semester and three the second
semester.
A student may count a maximum of two credits for the following courses toward fulfilling
requirements for graduation: Athletics, Yearbook/Newspaper. All competitive sports practices will be
during the boys and girls athletic classes. Additional sports practices may also be held after school.
Students may earn ¼ credit per sport up to ½ credit per school year.
Correspondence Course: High school students may pursue, with prior administrative approval, a
maximum of one credit by correspondence course each semester. (Maximum of two credits in two
years, for credit recovery only.)
Driver’s Education: Students who enroll in and attend Navajo Schools are eligible to take Driver’s
Education during the fall or spring semester without paying tuition. A tuition fee to be announced
prior to enrollment shall be charged for Navajo students who elect to take Driver’s Education in the
summer to help defray cost. Students not enrolled in Navajo Schools must pay a tuition fee of the
approximate cost of one student in the program prior to enrolling in Driver’s Education. Students who
enroll in Navajo Schools for the purpose of enrolling in Driver’s Education, but fail to attend Navajo
Schools at the
beginning of the school year following will be charged a tuition fee of the approximate
cost of one student in the program. Students who fail a class during the regular school year will not
be allowed to take Driver’s Education the following semester.
Grades: No grade above 100 points shall be given for a nine weeks grade. Each nine weeks grade is
final. All grades shall be calculated to the nearest whole point. No work shall be turned in for credit
after the last school day for the nine weeks grading period of the semester without prior approval from
the administration. The semester grade is the numerical average of the two nine weeks grades.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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On-Line Gradebook: Parents and guardians can access their students’ grades on line at the Navajo
website,
(www.navajo.k12.ok.us,)
at the link marked online gradebook. Contact the principal’s office
if you need a user name and/or password. Lunch account information is also available at this location.
Grade Point Average: GPAs will be calculated to the one-thousandth place. (Ex: 3.999) GPAs will
be calculated using the 4-point letter grade scale below for honor rolls and societies. Approved
college level classes taken concurrently also carry a GPA of 5.0 for an A, 4.0 for a B, etc. A grade
point of 5.0 will also be awarded for an A in an Advanced Placement course. Credit and/or grade
placement
may be
assigned in accordance with the School’s Proficiency Based Promotion Policy. For
Advanced Placement courses a grade of ‘A’ will be calculated as 5 points, a ‘B’ will be calculated as
4 points, a ‘C’ will be calculated as 3 points. No extra advantage points will be awarded for a “D” or
“F” in an advanced placement class. Students with more than ten absences in a semester in any
advanced placement class will not be awarded advanced placement credit. Instead, upon completion
of required
make up
time, they will be awarded regular class credit. The GPA will be calculated by
averaging each semester grade on all graded classes in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and first semester of the
12th grades. All grades received in the ninth through twelfth grades, including grades given by
correspondence, on line classes, and concurrent enrolled college classes will be counted in the
student’s GPA.
Grading Scale:
A+ = 98 -
B+ = 87 - 89
C + = 77 - 79
D + = 67 - 69
F = Below 60
A = 93 -
B = 83 - 86
C = 73 - 76
D = 66 - 66
A- = 90 -
B- = 80 - 82
C - = 70 - 72
D- = 60 - 62
Progress Reports: Progress reports can be picked up at the parent’s request. Grades can be accessed
daily on the online gradebook. Contact the building principal for the password to access online
gradebook.
Midterm and Final Exams: All students are required to take midterm and finals exams. Midterm
and final exams should be representative of the material covered during the grading period. Two days
will be designated as midterm testing days at the end of the first and third nine weeks and two days
will be designated as final testing days at the end of the second and fourth nine weeks. A midterm
and final exam is expected to be given in all academic classes. Times for each testing period will be
coordinated through the office to help prevent conflicts. The midterm and finals exam shall count 20
percent of the nine weeks grade. There are no exemptions for midterm and final exams.
Make-up work: The teacher may allow work to be turned in after a due date for legitimate reasons as
determined by the teacher and the principal. However, no work may be turned in for credit purposes
after the final school day for each 9 week grading period (3:30 p.m.) without prior administrative
approval.
Graduation Requirements: 23 credits for College and Core Diploma’s
College Preparatory Curriculum Diploma: 4 Units of English, 3 units of Mathematics (If Algebra I
was taken in the 8
th
grade students will need 3 additional units of math), 3 units of Laboratory
Science, 3 units of History and Citizenship including 1 unit of U.S History, ½ unit of U.S.
Government, and ½ unit of Oklahoma History, 2 units of Computer Technology or Foreign
Language, 1 additional unit from a core subject area,1 unit of Fine Arts, and 6 units of electives.
Core Academic Diploma required courses: 4 units of English (English I, English II, English III, and
Eng. IV are required); 3 units of Math; 3 units of Science (Biology is required); 1 unit of American
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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History, ½ unit of Oklahoma History, ½ unit of Government, 1 additional unit of History, 1 unit of
Art, 1 unit of Computer Technology, and 8 Electives.
Upon enrolling for the first time at Navajo in the freshman class or higher, a student’s parent or
guardian must choose either the college bound curriculum or the standard curriculum prior to entering
high school. Students and their parents may opt to change at a later time but it will be far easier to
switch from college bound to standard than form standard to college bound curriculum. After the
sophomore year students may or may not be allowed to switch from standard curriculum to college
bound curriculum because scheduling may make it impossible to enroll in the necessary classes to
fulfill the requirements for a college bound curriculum.
Proficiency Based Promotion: PBP tests may be taken in December, May, and August each year.
The student must notify the principal at least 30 days in advance of the test of the request to take the
PBP test. PBP tests may be taken in Social Studies, Language Arts, Languages, Mathematics, and
Sciences. The student must score a minimum 90 percent on the test to receive credit. For more
information about PBP contact the counselor.
Retaking a Course: A student may not retake a class or course for credit, to receive a higher grade
for the course, if the student has previously taken the course and received a passing grade for the
course. If a student retakes a course the student has previously failed, the student will receive the
grade the student makes upon retaking the course. The previous grade, however, will not be removed
from the student's transcript.
Special Education: Students with disabilities who are residents of Oklahoma have available to them
a free appropriate public education as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), P.L. 101-476. Navajo schools has a comprehensive child identification district plan to
identify, locate & evaluate those children with disabilities, birth through 21 years of age, who are in
need of special education & related services.
Career Tech: (High School) Career -Tech education is available for students in the 11
th
and 12th
grades and sometimes students in the 10
th
grade. Contact the high school counselor or principal for
information.
National Honor Society: The National Honor Society is a nationwide organization that honors
students with high scholastic achievement & outstanding character, leadership, and service.
Membership is limited to freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors who satisfy the National Honor
Society criteria for notable Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character.
Candidacy in the National Honor Society is determined by the cumulative grades of sophomores,
juniors, and seniors. A 3.5 grade point average is required to maintain eligibility, ( a 3.7 grade point
average is required for initial eligibility) A rating of students on scholarship, leadership, service, and
character is obtained by a faculty council based on a student application. The faculty council
determines the student’s eligibility for membership. Students must be nominated by a faculty member
for membership consideration. All members receive a membership card.
Oklahoma Honor Society: Students in the top 10 percent GPA of Navajo High School (9-12) are
eligible for membership in the Oklahoma Honor Society. The GPA is determined for the second
semester of the preceding school year & the first semester of the current school year.
Oklahoma Junior High Honor Society: Students in the top 10 percent GPA of Navajo Junior High
School (7-8) are eligible for membership in
the
Oklahoma Junior High Honor Society. The GPA is
determined for the second semester of the preceding school year and the first semester of the current
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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Page 16
school
year.
Salutatorian/Valedictorian: The salutatorian and valedictorian must fulfill the requirements for the
College Preparatory Diploma, complete the 11th and l2th grades at Navajo High School, be in good
standing with all attendance rules, must have taken core curriculum and college prep classes at Navajo High
School, and be members of the graduating class
A 15 point grading scale will be utilized for determining valedictorian and salutatorian of the senior
graduating class. Grade averages will be calculated to three decimal places with an ‘A+’ in an
advance placement class having a value of 15, an ‘A’ in an advance placement class having a value of
14, and an ‘A-‘in an advance placement class having a value of 13, etc. An ‘A+’ in a regular class or
a ‘B+” in an advance placement class would have a value of 12 points and so on down through the
letter grade of ‘C’ in an advance placement class. Students need to be aware that since valedictorian
and salutatorian honors are calculated as of the end of the first semester of the senior year, ranks may
change at the time of the final printing of the transcripts. The final printing of the transcript shall
reflect the students’ actual final GPA ranks and may be different from the honors received during the
graduation ceremony.
Students with all A’s on a college readiness curriculum will be recognized as honor graduates and
will be awarded a gold cord to wear on their graduation gowns.
Principal’s Honor Roll: A student must receive no grade lower than a "B" in all courses for the 9
week grading period. (If the course offers Pass/Fail or
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory,
the student must
receive a grade of Pass or Satisfactory.)
Superintendent’s Honor Roll: A student must receive a minimum grade of "A-" in all courses for
the 9 week grading period. (If the course offers Pass/Fail or
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory,
the student
must receive a grade of Pass or Satisfactory.)
Bus Rules: Students must ride the bus on all school activities unless permission has been given by the
administration. RULES: (1) Be on time, (2) Observe safety practices (check traffic both ways before
boarding or departing the bus, (3) Keep hands inside the bus, (4) Stay in your seat, (5) Place trash in
proper place, (6) No loud, disruptive behavior, (7) Do not throw objects on, or out of the bus, (8) Do
not leave items on the bus, (9) In case of an emergency, remain on the bus unless the driver instructs
you otherwise, (10) Be courteous, (11) Bags must fit in lap or under the seat.
Students are not allowed to take more than four passengers who are not normally regular passengers
on that bus home or to school for purposes of over-night parties, birthdays, etc. It is the parents'
responsibility to make arrangements for transportation for extra visitors.
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Dress Code: Students at Navajo schools are expected to dress appropriately for the school setting.
Clothing, accessories or hair styles should be modest. Extreme clothing and hairstyles that are
disruptive to the educational environment or creates a risk to health or safety to any person are
prohibited at school or any school activity. Hair color must be close to a normal human hair color.
Unusual hair styles considered to be distracting to the educational process by the faculty and
administration will not be allowed.
Shorts and dresses and other clothing must be no more than 4 inches above the knee cap. Leggings,
tights or other similar clothing that are worn under skirts or pants that are of appropriate length will
be allowed.
Disallowed clothing includes, but is not limited to: Distressed “trendy” clothing (rips, tears, holes)
must comply with the dress code 4” rule. (Rips, tears, and/or holes above 4 “ above the knee are not
allowed.), clothing that reveals the midriff or inappropriately exposes other areas of the body
(including legs) or undergarments; under clothing worn as outer wear, pajamas, caps/hats/sun glasses
(indoors);clothing, accessories, or hair styles that promotes (directly or indirectly) alcohol, chemical
abuse, criminal behavior, gang colors or symbols (including "sagging" or "baggy" pants);
inappropriate moral conduct; nudity (partial or whole); obscenity; profanity; any form of violence;
"cut- off" shorts; tank-tops (width of shoulder straps on all sleeveless tops must be 2 inches or greater
and no open-sided tank tops); weapons.
Dress code violations will be handled the following way:
1
st
offense: Contact parent and have them bring a change of clothes
2
nd
offense: Contact parent and will have 1 day in school suspension
3
rd
offense: Contact parent and will have 1 day out of school suspension
4
th
offense and more: will be handled at the discretion of administration
Food on Campus: Chewing gum is not allowed in the school buildings. Foods with minimum
nutritional value are not to be sold to students during school hours except on designated special
occasions. Machines containing food or drinks not meeting state healthy food guidelines are
unavailable to elementary and junior high students during school hours and available to high school
students only before and after school and at the noon hour. Students are not to purchase snacks or
beverages from these machines between classes. Machines that contain food or drinks meeting the
state healthy food guidelines may be available to stud
ents during the school day at teacher and
administrative discretion. If too many tardies are observed as a result of students buying snacks
between classes, the machine or machines may be placed off limits.
Search and Seizure: Student searches may be made based on a reasonable suspicion of a violation of
school rules and/or state or federal law by a student. The search shall be made pursuant to the
reasonableness, under all the circumstances, of the search. The search of the student shall be justified
at its inception, based on reasonable suspicion and reasonable in scope in light of the age and sex of
the student and the nature of the infraction. Contraband and other property unauthorized
to be
on
school property or school sponsored activities will be seized for evidentiary purposes in a school
hearing and/or legal hearing. Return of the property may be made to the parents/guardians of the
student. All areas of the school campus including parked cars may be periodically searched by the
use of detection canines to deter the presence of contraband items on or about school property.
Alternative Education: Navajo Students may be placed in alternative education for disciplinary
reasons, to prevent an "at risk" student from dropping out, or to allow a student who is one or more
years behind an opportunity to work at an individualized competency based curriculum.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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Alternative Education Student Status
Navajo Public Schools maintains an agreement with the Southwest Schools Consortium and the
Southwest Technology Center in Altus, Oklahoma to maintain an alternative education facility on the
campus of Southwest Technology Center. Students in the alternative education facility from Navajo
are considered to be students of the Navajo Public School System much the same as students in a
larger school system but differing school sites are students of the same overall system. As an
example, social functions of one high school in a city do not necessarily include members from
another high school in the same city. Navajo Public Schools recognize this distinction between
different sites within the same overall school system. However, since few social events are available
to students in the alternative education sitting, some events may be partially available to alternative
education students.
Alternative education students will be allowed to participate in graduation exercises when they meet
graduation eligibility if and only if they attend the regular graduation practice with the regular Navajo
students and if they conform to all dress and behavior expectations of the administration and
sponsors. If an alternative education student becomes eligible to graduate at a time before the end of
the regular spring semester, he or she will be invited to participate in the next available graduation
ceremony. Alternative education students do not have to attend graduation exercises in order to
receive a diploma.
For other social activities such as home coming, proms, dances, etc. students will be judged by the
administration by the individual circumstances involved in their placement in alternative education.
When applicable, alternative education students will be viewed from two sets of circumstances, one
being those students who are placed because of behavior or social interaction problems or those who
have had discipline problems arise after being placed in alternative education and the other being
those whose placement involves a necessity on the part of the student to help prevent dropout or
fail
ure or to allow a student who is behind, or getting behind, to catch up
.
The first category of students, those placed because of social or behavioral difficulties, will not be
eligible to attend social or extra-curricular functions of Navajo School not open the general public.
These students will also be considered to have been placed in an alternative education environment on
a permanent basis and
will not
normally be considered candidates for re-entry into the regular school
population. For them, the alternative education environment is considered a "last chance" and exiting
from the alternative school environment will not lead back to the regular classroom.
The second category of students, those placed to prevent dropping out, failure, or a chance to catch up
with one's age group and, who are in good standing with the administration, will be allowed to all
Navajo events open to the general public. For other extra-curricular events, such as dances, prom,
etc., alternative education students in good standing will be allowed to attend.
Students in the second category will not be considered candidates for re-entry into the regular Navajo
population until they have been out of the regular classroom for at least the remainder of the current
semester and the entire following semester, or a minimum of one full semester. After the passage of
one full semester,
the student
may petition for a committee meeting to determine if he or she will be
allowed to re-enter the regular classroom. If it is determined to be a benefit to the student and if he or
she is caught up to grade level as determined by age, he or she shall be re-entered into the regular
classroom.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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Out of School Suspension
It is the policy of the Navajo Board of Education that the superintendent or designee may suspend a
student whose conduct disrupts the academic atmosphere of the school, endangers or threatens fellow
students, teachers, or officials, or damages the property of another. Any student who has been
adjudicated for a violent or not- violent offense may be suspended out-of-school by the principal of
such school. Any student who violates the policies or regulations of the school may be suspended. No
suspension will exceed the duration of the current semester and the succeeding semester except for
violations of the Gun-Free Schools Act, which suspensions
may be
for one (1) calendar year or
longer.
A student suspended out-of-school shall be placed in a supervised, structured environment in either a
home-based school work assignment setting or another appropriate setting in accordance with a plan
prescribed by the school administration that provides education to and monitoring of the student,
which plan shall be complied with by the parent or legal guardian. 70 O.S. 24.101 Any student with
an out of school suspension will be required to take final exams for all classes missed.
In accordance with the policy of the board of education, the following regulation shall govern the
suspension of students from school.
1. For acts of immorality, violations of policy or regulations, or for any act which disrupts the
academic atmosphere of the school, endangers or threatens fellow students, teachers, or officials,
or damages property. Any student who has been adjudicated as a delinquent for a violent or non-
violent offense may be suspended.
2. A full suspension shall not extend beyond the present semester and the succeeding semester
except for violations of the Gun-Free Schools Act which provides suspensions for up to one
calendar year or longer. (see policy FNCGA.)
3. Except under circumstances which require the immediate removal of a student or students, the
parent(s) or legal guardian shall be informed before a student is released from school.
4. Any student who has be adjudicated as a delinquent for a violent offense or not-violent offense
and has been removed from a public or private school in this state or any other state for such act,
will not be enrolled in the district until such time as that student no longer poses a threat to self,
other students, or faculty.
5. Procedural steps to suspension:
Before a student is suspended from school, the principal of that school shall consider and apply, if
appropriate, alternative in-school placement options that are not to be considered suspensions. Such
placements can include an alternative school setting, or in-school detention.
A. Probation. A student may be placed on probation with or without additional disciplinary
action. If probation is elected by the principal as a suitable alternative to suspension, both the
student and the parent(s) shall be notified of the probation and the reasons thereof.
B. In-school placement is an alternative to out-of-school suspension. In-school placement will be
imposed by the student's principal and the student will be placed in a monitored, structured
environment. This placement will not be considered suspension and may include an
alternative school setting, reassignment to another classroom, or in-school detention. Both the
student and the parent(s) shall be notified of the placement, the reasons thereof, and the right
to appeal the placement to the suspension committee.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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C. Out-of-school suspension. A student may be suspended from school for the remainder of the
current semester and the entirety of the succeeding semester. Both the student and the
parent(s) shall be notified of the suspension, the grounds thereof. A student suspended out-of-
school will be placed in a supervised, structured environment in either a home-based school
work assignment setting or another appropriate setting in accordance with a plan prescribed by
the school administration that provides education to and monitoring of the student.
6. Appellate procedures. Any student who has been suspended under the steps listed above, or the
student's parent(s) may appeal the suspension to the suspension committee, if the period of
suspension is ten days or less, or to the board of education, if the suspension is for more than ten
days. The following procedures shall govern the appellate process:
A.
The student, or the student's parent(s) shall notify the superintendent as soon as possible
following the suspension or the notice of the intent to suspend of their intent to appeal the
suspension.
B. Upon receiving notice of a student's or parent(s) intent to appeal, the superintendent shall
advise the suspension committee (short term) or the president of the board of education (long
term). The appeal shall be heard within ten days from the date the notice of intent is filed with the
superintendent. The superintendent, at his/her discretion, may permit the suspended student to
attend classes pending the outcome of the appeal.
C. During the hearing of the appeal, the student may be represented by legal counsel or other adult
representative, may examine witnesses on his/her own behalf, cross examine opposing witnesses,
and offer other evidence in the student's behalf including his/her own testimony.
D.
The suspension committee (short term) or the board of education (long term) shall uphold the
suspension, modify the terms of the suspension, or overrule the suspension. The student and the
student's parent(s) shall be notified within five school days of a decision.
E. Decisions of the suspension committee may be appealed to the board of education if the
suspension is for more than 10 days.
7. Appeal for reinstatement. Students who have been suspended for the remainder of a semester, or
more, may petition to the superintendent for reinstatement. The superintendent may, at his/her
discretion, schedule an informal hearing with the concerned principal. At the hearing, the student
may present evidence of attitude or behavior modifications which would support reinstatement.
The superintendent and the principal may reinstate the student or deny reinstatement and submit a
written report for the informal hearing to the board of education. The board shall take whatever
action it deems appropriate.
8. A suspension appeals committee is hereby established which will consist of administrators or
teachers or a combination of administrators and teachers. The members of the committee will be
appointed by the superintendent and may include the superintendent.
A plan of study will be given to students suspended for more than five days which will cover
those days beyond the initial five. No plans of study will be given to students whose suspensions
are for five days or less.
NOTE: 70 O.S. 24-102 states that a student who has been suspended from a public or private school
in the state of Oklahoma or another state for a violent act or an act showing deliberate or reckless
disregard for the health or safety of faculty or other students shall not be entitled to enroll in a public
school of this state, and no public school shall be required to enroll such student, until the terms of the
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK
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Page 21
suspension have been met or the time of suspension has expired.
CONDUCT SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINE
Following is a partial list of activities that a student may reasonably expect disciplinary action to be
taken if he or she chooses to be thus engaged. Obviously it is not an all-inclusive list but consists of
some of the more prominent offenses and descriptions.
Alcohol/Chemical Abuse: Attending classes alert and ready to learn is a prime responsibility of
students at Navajo Public Schools. The inability to function in class may occur because of illness,
injury, or drug use, prescribed or illegal. A student may be referred to the principal's office after
demonstrating one or more of the following behaviors: sleeping in class, drowsy or listless, slurred
speech, poor general health (red eyes, flushed skin, etc.), odor of smoke, abnormal or erratic behavior,
inability to concentrate, wearing jewelry or clothing which promotes drugs, alcohol or tobacco use,
fighting, possession of an illegal drug, alcohol, or tobacco. A student found possessing, distributing or
using alcohol or drugs or other contraband at school or a school sponsored activity will be subject to
disciplinary action.
Arson: Intentionally setting of any type of fire. Recklessly playing with items that can conceivably
cause a fire.
Assault: Intentional creation of a reasonable apprehension in the mind of the victim of imminent
bodily harm. Includes verbal threats.
Battery: Offensive, unconsented touching of another's person. Includes fighting and throwing
objects.
Assault on a School Employee: A school employee shall mean any duly appointed person, employee
by or employees of a firm contracting with the Navajo school system for any purpose, including such
personnel not directly related to the teaching process & board members during board meetings. Every
person who, without justifiable or excusable cause, knowingly commits any assault, aggravated
assault, battery, or aggravated battery upon the person of a school employee is punishable by
imprisonment and/or fine pursuant to 70 O.S. Sections 9 - 113.
Bullying: Bullying is repeated and uncalled for aggressive behavior, often unprovoked meanness. It
is behavior designed to threaten, frighten or get someone to do something they would not normally
do. Bullying is usually directed by a stronger student against a weaker one. Bullying in any form will
not be tolerated at Navajo Public Schools.
Cheating/Plagiarism
Disruptive Behavior: Failing to follow classroom rules and/or disrupting the environment.
Extortion: The taking of money/property by anyone who employs threats, or other illegal use of fear
or coercion in order to obtain the money/property, and whose conduct falls short of the threat to
personal safety required for robbery.
Failure or Refusal to Serve Discipline: If the student fails to serve the discipline due to
circumstances genuinely beyond the student's control, the student must make up the discipline. If the
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student "forgets" to serve the discipline, the discipline is doubled. If the student "refuses" to serve the
discipline the student will receive out-of-school suspension. Upon returning from the suspension, the
student must serve the original discipline.
Harassment: Harassment includes, but is not limited to: Offensive teasing, unconsented
communications with another student, taunting, slanderous remarks regarding another student, etc.
Beginning in 2008, Oklahoma law gives schools the authority and responsibility to deal with incidents
of harassment by school students outside of the school day if it affects their students during the school
day.
Hazing: All forms of hazing and/or intimidation are prohibited at school and school sponsored
activities.
Insubordination: A student found to be disobedient to the authority of school personnel, and/or
failing to follow the directive of the personnel without just cause as determined by the principal, shall
be subject to discipline.
Misinformation: Willfully giving misinformation by commission (providing false information), or
omission (misinforming by remaining silent).
Obsenity/Profanity: Obscene materials including, but not limited to: illustrations (drawings,
paintings, photographs, etc.) and oral or written materials (books, letters, poems, tapes, CDs, videos,
etc.), which are commercially or student-produced are prohibited. Profanity including, but not limited
to: gestures, symbols, verbal, written, etc. is prohibited at school and all school sponsored activities.
Public Display of Affection (PDA): Inappropriate physical contact including, but not limited to,
intimate touching, kissing, etc., at school or a school sponsored activity is prohibited.
Sexual Harassment: Behavior shown toward another person without un-coerced consent that is
personally offensive to that person. It debilitates morale & therefore interferes with the working or
learning effectiveness of its victims and their peers. Includes, but is not limited to: gestures, jokes,
touching in a sexual way (grabbing, pinching, "brushing up against" another person, etc.), symbolic,
verbal & written communications with sexual innuendoes, and the dissemination of information
(gossip), true or false, about a person.
Skipping School: Failing to attend school or leaving school without authorization. (* Students must
check out through the office prior to leaving school other than at the end of the school day.)
Theft: Taking something that doesn’t belong you.
Tobacco: Navajo Public Schools is now a 24-7 non-tobacco use location. The use of any tobacco
product is prohibited in all school owned property and facilities by students, staff, and visitors.
Possession of tobacco or tobacco related products by students are prohibited at school or school
sponsored activities pursuant to Oklahoma Law (21 OS. Section 21-1241, 1242.) Prohibited tobacco
products & paraphernalia include, but is not limited to: cigarettes, cigarette lighters, cigarette paper,
cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, cigarette holders, tobacco, tobacco related containers & packages, etc.
Any minor in possession of the above materials being asked by a police officer or teacher where and
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from whom such materials were obtained, who shall refuse to furnish such information shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor.
Vandalism
Weapons: The possession or use of any weapon during the time a student is in attendance in Navajo
Public Schools, or is in transit to or from school or any school sponsored activity by any form of
transportation (including vehicle, walking, etc.) is strictly prohibited.
A weapon includes, but is not limited to: guns, rifles, pistols, shotguns; daggers, knives (excluding
normal (folding) pocket knives with a blade(s) length of three (3) inches or less) (* knives of any type
or length are not to be carried by school students at school or on school functions without express
permission), razors, clubs, slapjacks, night sticks; any device which throws, discharges or fires
objects, bullets or shells; explosive and incendiary devices; hand chains; artificial knuckles; or any
other object that can reasonably be considered a weapon or dangerous instrument. Also prohibited is
any facsimile or counterfeit weapon or something resembling a weapon.
Exempt from this policy are any instruments and devices that may be considered a weapon under this
policy but are specifically authorized (prior to being brought to school) by school personnel for use in
an approved curricular or extra-curricular activity and are used in the appropriate manner. Any
student who knowingly aids, accompanies and/or assists in the violation of the policy shall also be
considered in violation of this policy and shall be subject to discipline in the same manner as any
student who violates this policy.
A student who violates this weapon policy shall be subject to: Out-of-school suspension for the
remainder of the semester in which the violation occurred and the succeeding semester per the
circumstances. (70 O.S.24-101.3)
The inappropriate behaviors, dress code statements etc. described previously in this handbook are not
all-inclusive. Other circumstances may crop up from time to time that are not specifically cited here.
The principal shall use his or her discretion in handling such cases. This handbook will be used as a
guideline. Some misbehaviors or infractions may be so severe as to warrant more severe punishment
than suggested here
Medication: Prescription medication, provided by the student or Parent/Guardian of the student shall
only be dispensed to a student with written Parental/Guardian permission and written dispensing
instructions. Medications will only be kept in the office. A form authorizing school personnel to
administer medication to students is included in the enrollment material.
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SELF-ADMINISTRATION OF
ASTHMA MEDICATION
Pursuant to Oklahoma law, students may be allowed to carry and self-administer prescribed inhaled
asthma medications according to the provisions of this policy. The District shall not incur any
liability as a result of any injury arising from the self- administration of asthma medication by a
student. If the requirements of this policy are fulfilled, a student
diagnosed with asthma may possess and use his or her labeled asthma medication at all times.
The student’s parent or guardian shall:
1) Provide the school with a written statement on the form prescribed by the Board of
Education authorizing the self- administration of inhaled asthma medication. Such written
statement shall acknowledge that the District shall not incur any liability as a result of any
injury arising from the self-administration of asthma medication by a student.
2) Provide the school with a written statement from the student’s treating physician
containing the following information:
a. That the student has asthma;
b. That the student is capable of, and has been instructed in the proper method ofm
self-administration of the student’s asthma medication.
c. The name and purpose of the asthma medication;
d. The prescribed dosage;
e. The time or times at which and special circumstances, if any, under which
the asthma medication is to be administered;
3) Provide the school with an emergence supply of the student’s asthma medications(s) to be
administered pursuant to Oklahoma law by a school nurse or other authorized personnel.
4) Provide asthma medication to be carried by the student which is appropriately labeled,
with a prescription label reflecting the following:
a. Student’s name
b. Prescription number
c. Asthma medication name and
dosage;
d. Method of administration and
dosage;
e. Date of prescription and refill
f. Licensed prescriber’s name;
g. Pharmacy name, address and
telephone number;
h. Name of Pharmacist
The authorization for self-administration of asthma medications from the parent or guardian shall
be kept on file in the office at the school site where the student is enrolled. The authorization for
self-administration of asthma medication shall be effective only for the school year in which the
authorization is submitted by the student’s parent or guardian. The parent or guardian shall be
responsible for renewing an authorization for each subsequent school year.
For purposes of this policy, “asthma medication” shall mean a metered dose inhaler or a dry
powder inhaler to alleviate asthmatic symptoms, prescribed by a physician and having an
individual label. “Self-administration” shall mean a student’s use of asthma medication pursuant
to a prescription or written direction from a physician.
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When to Keep Your Child Home from School
Deciding when a child is too sick to go to school can be difficult. In order for your child to be
available for learning, and to control communicable diseases in our school, it is important to keep
your child home for the following reasons:
• Fever 99.9 degree and above – Your child should be fever free, and off of all fever reducing
medication for 24 hours before he or she returns to school. Student returning to school before
they are well are more susceptible to illness and may expose others. Please do not give your child
medication to treat a fever and then send him or her to school.
• Sore Throat or Tonsillitis – A minor sore throat is usually not a problem, but a severe sore
throat could be a symptom of a more serious illness. If your child is diagnosed with strep throat,
he or she may return to school 24 hours after antibiotic treatment begins.
• Spots/rash – do not send your child to school with a rash until your health care provider has
dais that it is safe to do so. Children with ringworms, scabies, or impetigo can return to school
after 24 hours of appropriate treatment. The affected areas should be covered if possible. Proof
of treatment may be required before student can return.
• Bad Cough/Cold Symptoms – Children with bad coughs/cold need to stay home, and possibly
see their health care prodder. When the cough improves and the child is feeling better they may
return to school.
• Eye inflammation or Discharge – If your child’s eye is red with a cloudy or yellow/green
drainage; matted eyelids after sleep eye pain and/or redness, you should keep your child home,
and contact your health care provider. If pink eye is suspected at school, your child will be sent
home.
• Vomiting and/or Diarrhea – Your child should stay home until the illness is over, and for at
least 12 hours after the last episode (without medication.) • Head Lice – Students with head lice
must be treated with a special preparation for killing head lice (available over the counter) and
progress made on removing all of the nits. Merritt Schools has a no nit policy. Students with lice
or nits will be sent home from school and may not return until completely free of all lice/nits
• Chicken Pox – Children with uncomplicated chicken pox may return on the sixth day after the
onset of the rash or when the spots are all dried and crusted, whichever is longer.
• Mumps – Students with mumps should stay home from school for a total of five days after the
symptoms begin.
• Poison Ivy – Poison ivy is not contagious, so students do not need to stay home. Open lesions
should be covered when students come to school.
• Mild Cold Symptoms – If your child feels well, and there is no fever, it is usually okay to send
your child to school.
• Vague Complaints of Aches, Pains or Fatigue
• Diagnosed Skin Condition
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STUDENT RECORDS - Notification of Rights under
FERPA
For Elementary and Secondary
Institutions
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), affords parents and students over 18
years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s education records.
They are:
The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the
District receives a request for access.
Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal (or appropriate school
official) a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal
will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and
place where the records may be inspected.
The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records, the parent or eligible
student believes are inaccurate or misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy
rights.
Parents or eligible students may ask the district to amend a record they believe is
inaccurate or misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights. They
should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed,
and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s
privacy rights.
If the district decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible
student, the district will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision
and
advise
them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional
information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible
student when notified of the right to a hearing.
The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the
student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without
consent.
One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials
with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the district
as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or
medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a
person or company with whom the district has contracted to perform a special task (such
as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on
an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another
school official in performing his or her tasks.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an
education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the
district discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district
in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. (NOTE
FERPA requires a school district to
state its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request.)
The right to file a complaint with United States Department of Education concerning alleged
failures by the district to comply with requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the
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office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, United States Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
INTERNET-BASED INSTRUCTION POLICY
Internet-based instructional programs offered for instructional purposes and/or grade level/high
school credit shall be approved by and under the supervision of the Navajo Public Schools Board
of Education. Online instruction is considered by the Board to be an effective instructional tool in
the teaching-learning process. The purpose of this policy is to describe the conditions under
which online instruction will be offered to students enrolled in Navajo Public Schools.
This policy, as it related to 6th through 12th grade students, complies with 70 O.S. l-111 B, which
reads as follows: Students absent from school in which they are regularly enrolled may be
considered as being in attendance if the reason for such absence is to participate in scheduled
school activities under the direction and supervision of a regular member of the faculty or to
participate in a remote Internet- based course approved by the District Board of Education. The
State Board of Education shall adopt rules no later than July 1, 2011, to provide for the
implementation of remote Internet-based courses. Each district board of education shall adopt
policies and procedures that conform to rules for Internet-based courses as adopted by the State
Board.
Definitions:
Alternative Method Delivery System refers to the delivery of instruction through Web-based or
video-based technologies.
Asynchronous instruction is not dependent on instructor and student interaction in real time.
Asynchronous instruction allows the student to engage in learning activities anywhere at any
time. For instruction to be considered asynchronous, the primary format of instruction does not
depend on real-time interaction of the participants.
Netiquette consists of the rules and guidelines for acceptable behavior in electronic
communication.
Online Course describes a delivery method in which students complete the entire course online
with required visits to the campus.
Web-based Instruction uses the World Wide Web as the primary medium of instruction, with a
computer serving as the primary tool of instruction.
General Guidelines for Internet-Based Instruction Receiving Credit at Navajo Public
Schools
Certified instructors will deliver quality online instruction. Navajo Public Schools' personnel
shall supervise Internet-based programs. The board of education will grant students credit for
completion of courses offered by means of online instruction. School district policies governing
grading scales and credits earned shall be applied to Advanced Academics’ Online Course
Program courses under the same criteria as courses offered by the school district. A grade
assigned for coursed credit that was completed through the supplemental online program shall be
treated the same as any other course offered by the district.
Prior to offering an Internet-based instructional course, the Board of Education shall comply with
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the following Guidelines recommended by the State Department of Education:
1. The Board of Education shall grant students, 9th through 12th credit for completion of
courses offered by means of Internet-based instruction and assume responsibility for such
coursework.
2. Only students who are enrolled in this district will be granted access to supplemental
online courses.
3. Navajo School provides students with the opportunity to acquire 3.5 credit hours per
semester. Students who wish to exceed this amount of credit hours in a semester assume
responsibility for all tuition, fees, and books.
4. A student may not enroll in an on-line course if a course with the same or similar
objectives is available in the Navajo High School schedule and is available for the student
to take prior to graduation.
5. If Navajo Public Schools offers a foreign language then Navajo will not authorize the
taking of additional foreign languages by Navajo students unless they are completing the
two unit requirement that was begun in a different school system. Students may be
authorized to take additional foreign language courses at their own expense and have them
added to their Navajo transcript.
6. Some courses may only be available to students on Individualized Education Plans and/or
high school core graduation plans.
7. Students earning credit by means of online instruction shall participate in required state-
level academic assessments in the same manner as other regularly enrolled students within
the district.
8. Courses/classes offered for academic credit by means of internet-based instruction shall
be aligned with the Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS) and the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS) as applicable.
9. Requests for enrollment in supplemental online courses shall be as follows:
a. Interested students shall be required to fill out a request for enrollment in
supplemental online course(s) form.
b. The Principal or designee shall evaluate the application and determine whether the
supplemental online course is educationally appropriate for the student
c. If the supplemental online course is not deemed to be educationally appropriate,
notification shall be provided to the student in writing as to the reasons in support of
the principal's recommendation and the student shall be afforded the opportunity to
appeal the principal's decision to the local school board. The decision of the local
board with regard to whether a course is educationally appropriate is final and non-
appealable. A copy of the notification shall be provided to the Director of Instructional
Technology at the State Department of Education.
10. Instructors of online courses shall be: (a) certified in Oklahoma or another state to teach in the
content area of the course offered, or (b) a faculty member at an accredited institution of higher
education, possessing the specific content expertise necessary to teach the course.
11. The Board of Education may establish fees or charges for the provision of alternative
instructional delivery system courses. The district shall not be liable for payment of any fees or
charges for any Internet-based course for a student who has not fully complied with district
policies and procedures.
12. The Navajo School District has no obligation to transcript on-line courses taken by Navajo
students without the permission of the administration.
13. The Navajo School District has no obligation to transcript on-line courses taken by Navajo
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Students through on-line course providers other than the ones specifically recognized by the
Navajo Board of Education.
14. All federal and state statutes pertaining to student privacy, the posting of images on the World
Wide Web, copyright of materials, Federal Communications Commission rules pertaining to the
public broadcasting of audio and video, and other such issues shall be adhered to by the district.
15. Any student who received their entire class schedule through an online environment cannot
participate in any extra-curricular activities. A student must be enrolled and in physical
attendance at a secondary school site for at least 3 periods of the school day to participate in any
extra-curricular activities. (Vocational education class attendance will count towards this
requirement)
16. Navajo Public Schools will not be responsible for financial loss for items such as class rings,
graduation announcements, etc., if the student is unable to graduate due to non-completion of
coursework.
Administration of Internet Based Instruction
1. These are the reasons Navajo Public Schools will admit students into the Internet-based
Instruction Program:
a. Credit Recovery
b. Drop-Out Prevention
c. Curriculum for Long-Term Suspension
d. Solution for Students Disrupting the Educational Process
e. Additional curriculum
2. The site principal shall appoint a certified staff member to serve as the building level contact
person to assist student enrolling in on-line courses and to serve as the liaison to the on-line
teachers and provider(s).
3. The security of individual student data and records shall be maintained and receive the same
protection afforded students under state and federal laws. No individual student data obtained
through participation in Internet-based instruction courses shall be used for any purposes other
than those that support the instruction of the individual student.
4. District level aggregated data obtained through participation in Internet-based instruction courses
shall be utilized for education purposes only and shall not be provided to commercial entities.
5. Student progress shall be monitored on a weekly basis by the supplemental online course
provider.
6. Attendance/participation in a supplemental online course shall be monitored in accordance with
local district policy and determined by documented student/teacher/course interaction that may
include, but is not limited to, online chats, emails, posting/submissions of lessons. The student
may be counted "present" or "in attendance" when the supplemental online course provider
provides evidence of student/teacher/course interaction that demonstrates student progress toward
learning objectives and demonstrates regular student engagement in course activity. Supplemental
online course providers shall make available to students, parents, and the school district reports
that reflect daily attendance/participation, progress reports, and grades. Such
attendance/participation reports, progress reports, and grades shall be provided on a regular
weekly basis to parents and the school district via electronic format. The district will review
progress reports and grades twice per month.
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Student Responsibility for Internet-Based Instruction
Expectations for Students
1. Students are aware of the expectations, netiquette, skills, and technology required to participate in
an online course. Navajo Public School Internet Policy is available on the District's public
website, as well as the Internet-Based Instruction Policy.
2. Students will abide by all applicable behaviors including but not limited to harassment and/or
intimidation, obscene language and/or vulgarity, plagiarism, cheating and etc.
3. Students will abide by all federal and state statutes pertaining to the use of copyrighted materials.
4. By enrolling in an online course, students are declaring that they have the minimum computer
skills to participate in an online course, including but not limited to Internet, file management,
and e-mail skills.
5. Students participating in online instruction will abide by the Navajo Public Schools policy on
Acceptable Use of Information Systems and Code of Conduct for Internet and Other Computer
Network Access Policy
6. Students who participate in online instruction at locations other than the Navajo Public Schools
shall be responsible for providing their own equipment and Internet access.
7. Supplemental books or supplies required for online courses taught through the district shall be the
responsibility of the student and/or parent/guardian.
Annual Notice Concerning Student Records
State and federal law give parents (and students over 18 years of age) certain rights concerning
the student’s school records. These rights are listed below.
1. You have a right to look at your school records. To look at your records you should give the
principal a written request listing the records you want to see. The principal must allow you to see
the records within 30 days from receiving the request.
2. You have the right to request changes in your school records if you believe the records are
inaccurate, misleading, or that they violate your privacy
rights.
If you want to change your records you should tell the principal in writing what you want changed
and why you think it ought to be changed. If the principal agrees with you, your records will be
changed. If the principal disagrees with you, you may request a hearing.
3. You have the right to file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Education if you believe
the school has violated any of your rights with respect to school records. If you have a complaint,
send it in writing to:
Family Policy Compliance Officer
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S. W. Washington D.C. 20202-4605
Some of the information in your school records is not confidential and may be released without
your consent. This information is known as “directory information.” Directory information
includes the following:
· full legal name
· the image or likeness in pictures, videotape, film, or other medium
· participation in officially recognized sports and activities
· height and weight of athletic team members
· degrees and awards received
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· academic work intended for publication or display
We routinely send the above directory information to the State Department of Education and their
associated agencies, Colleges, Career Tech, Military Recruiters, Law Enforcement, the
Department of Human Services, Local Newspapers, other local schools, year book publishers,
contracted professional photography studios, and printers and agents for graduation
announcements, diplomas etc. If any member of the administration gets a request for directory
information that he or she feels uncomfortable releasing, we will request the permission of each
student and/or guardian before releasing such information.
If you do not want directory information released, you must tell the principal in writing what
types of directory information you do not want released. That written notice to the principal must
be received no later than September 15 of each year or within 30 days of receiving this annual
notice.
Military recruiters and institutions of higher education are entitled under federal law to a list of
names, addresses, and telephone numbers of high school students unless you object to such
release. If you notify your principal in writing at any time that you do not wish your child’s name,
address, and telephone number released without your written consent, we will honor that request.
Both parents have a right to see the school records of their child unless there is a certified copy of
a court order on file at the school that specifically denies the right to access to school records.
Copies of school records are available for minimal copying charge.
If you have any questions about these rights, please contact your school official.
PARENT’S RIGHT-TO-KNOW REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 1111(H) (6) OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
(A) Qualification – At the beginning of each school year, a local educational agency that receives
funds under this part shall notify the parents of each student attending any school receiving
funds under this part that the parents may request, and the agency will provide the parents on
request (and in a timely manner), information regarding the professional qualifications of the
student’s classroom teachers, including, at a minimum, the following:
(i) Whether the teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels
and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
(ii) Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which
State qualification or licensing criteria has been waived.
(iii) The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or
degree held by the teacher.
(iv) Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
(B) Additional information – In addition to the information that parents may request under
subparagraph (A), a school that receives funds under this part shall provide toe each
individual parent –
(i) Information on the level of achievement of the parent’s child in each of the State academic
assessments as required under the part; and
(ii) Timely notice that the parent’s child has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more
consecutive weeks by, a teacher who is not highly qualified.
Format – The notice and information provided to parents under this paragraph shall be in an
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understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that
the parents can understand.
NOTICE TO PARENTS
The Jackson/Harmon Counties Co-Op is part of a joint venture involving the Oklahoma State
Department of Education to collect selected information on physically, emotionally, and mentally
handicapped children, birth through 21 years of age, for the purpose of determining present and
future program and placement needs and for statistical reporting.
As a parent you are guaranteed the right to inspect any such information, which is subject to
collection, and to require the accuracy of such information. Access by any unauthorized person
to information, which would identify an individual child, without the informed consent of the
parent, is expressly forbidden.
This agency is responsible for the confidential maintenance of this information and for its
destruction. It is required that these data be destroyed following the completion of special
services to the child, but not sooner than five years after a record is generated. Parents will be
notified and asked to consent to submission prior to the entry of any personally identifiable data
for this collection and prior to the destruction of this data.
If you have questions regarding confidential data on your child, you may contact the following
person(s) at this agency:
Ms. Vicki Nance, Patricia Bryce, or Ms. Johnna Brown At (580) 482-7742 or (888) 302-
9047
If you do not fully understand this notice, please ask Ms. Nance, Mrs. Bryce or Ms. Brown to
explain its meaning to you. This notice is placed here under federal regulations related to the
confidentiality of information.
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INTERNET AND OTHER COMPUTER NETWORKS
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
The Board of Education believes that the use of the Internet and other local and/or
wide area networks will further education by promoting the exchange of information
and ideas and by providing intra- and inter-district, statewide, national, and global
opportunities for staff, students, and the community. Students will be able to access
the Internet under the supervision of their teachers. Individual student, employee,
and patron accounts and E-mail addresses (will/will not) be provided and the user
(will/will not) be permitted to use the address to send and receive mail at school.
Since the Internet constitutes an unregulated collection of educational resources
which change constantly, it is not possible to predict or control exactly what
resources users may locate. The school district makes no guarantees of the accuracy
of the information or the appropriateness of materials which a student
may
encounter.
Students will be under teacher supervision; however, it is not possible to
constantly monitor individual students and what they are accessing. Students and
other users will refrain from intentionally accessing and downloading any text,
picture, or on-line conferencing that includes material which is considered to be
obscene, libelous, indecent, vulgar, profane, or lewd; advertises any product or
service to minors prohibited by law; presents a clear and present danger; or will
cause the commission of unlawful acts or the violation of lawful school regulations.
Users will not solicit or receive any information or service which could result in
unauthorized expense to the district.
Users will be courteous and polite. Messages will be concise and not abusive in
content or language. Personal information should not be revealed. Records of
Internet use will be considered confidential; however, users must be aware that any
message or information posted on the Internet may be accessed by others for whom
it is not intended. E-mail and downloaded materials will be deleted from the system
on a regularly scheduled basis.
Users of the services will respect all copyright and license agreements. Copyrighted
software, pictures, or music will not be downloaded for use which violates copyright
laws.
Staff, students, and the community must agree to attend an orientation which will
address the issues of appropriate use of the school network, Internet, copyright laws,
Internet etiquette, and fees (if any) incurred during the use of the services. An
Internet/Computer Network use agreement will be signed by all persons wishing to
use the services provided by the school district.
Violation of the Internet/Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy will result in
forfeiture of all user privileges. Violators shall also be subject to appropriate
disciplinary action. Pending investigation into a student/staff complaint of
inappropriate use of the networks, user privileges will be suspended.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 40
The district shall not be liable for users' inappropriate use of electronic
communication resources or violations of copyright restrictions, users' mistakes or
negligence, or costs incurred by users. The district shall not be responsible for
ensuring the accuracy or usability of any information found on the Internet.
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR INTERNET AND
OTHER COMPUTER NETWORK ACCESS
The purpose of providing Internet and other computer network access in this district is to
promote the exchange of information and ideas with the global community. The following
represents a guide to the acceptable use of the technology provided by this district. All
network use must be consistent with the policies and goals of this school district.
Inappropriate use of district technology will result in the loss of technology use, disciplinary
action, and/or referral to legal authorities.
All Internet and other computer network users will be expected to abide by the generally
accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Be polite. Messages should not be abusive to others.
2. Take pride in communications. Check spelling and grammar.
3. Use appropriate language. Do not swear or use vulgarities or any other
inappropriate language, symbols, or pictures.
4. Protect password confidentiality. Passwords are not to be shared with others.
Using another user's account or password or allowing such access by another may
be permitted only with the approval of the supervising teacher or system
administrator.
5. Do not reveal your personal address or telephone number or those of other
persons. No student information protected by FERPA should be electronically
transmitted or otherwise disseminated through the network.
6. Illegal activities are strictly prohibited.
7. The district technology is not to be used for playing multi-user or other network
intensive games, commercial ventures, Internet relay chat lines, or downloading
excessively large files.
8. No charges for services, products, or information are to be incurred without
appropriate permission.
9. Be aware that electronic mail is not guaranteed to be private. People who operate
the system have access to all mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal
activities may be reported to the proper authorities.
10. Do not use the network in such a way that you would disrupt the use of the
network by other users.
11 Respect the privacy of others. Do not read the mail or files of others without their
permission. All communications and information accessible via the network
should be assumed to be private property. Copyright and licensing laws will not
be intentionally violated.
12. Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any
malicious attempt to harm or destroy hardware, data of another user, Internet, or
any other agencies or other networks which may be accessed. This includes, but is
not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 41
13. Report security problems to the supervising teacher or system administrator.
AN INTERNET ACCESS CONDUCT AGREEMENT IS INCLUDED IN THE
ENROLLMENT MATERIALS.
HAZING
It
is the policy of this school district that no student or employee of the district shall participate
in or be members
of an
y
secret fraternity or secret organization that is in any degree related to
the school or to a school activity. No
student organization
or any person associated with any
organization sanctioned or
authorized by
the board of education
shall
engage or participate
in hazing.
For the purposes of this policy, hazing is defined as an activity that recklessly or intentionally
endangers the mental health or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of
initiation
or
admission into or
affiliation with
any organization
sanctioned or authorized by
the board of
education.
"Endanger
the physical health" shall include, but is not limited to any brutality of a physical
nature, such as
whipping;
beating; branding; forced calisthenics; exposure to the elements;
forced consumption of any food, alcoholic beverage
,
drug, or controlled dangerous substance;
or other forced physical activity which could adversely affect the
physical
health or safety of
the individual.
·
"Endanger
the mental health" shall include any activity, except those activities authorized by
law, which would
subject
the individual to extreme mental stress, such
as
prolonged sleep
deprivation, forced prolonged exclusion from
social
contact, forced conduct which could
result
in
extreme embarrassment,
or any
other forced activity which
could adversely
affect the
mental health or dignity of the
individual.
Any hazing activity upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with an
organization sanctioned
or
authorized by the board of education is conditioned, directly or
indirectly, shall be presumed to be a forced
activity,
even if the student willingly participates
in
such
activity.
This policy is not intended to deprive school district authorities from taking necessary and
appropriate
disciplinary
action toward any
student
or employee. Students or em
ployees
who
violate this policy will be subject to
disciplinary
action that may include expulsion for students
and employment
termination for
employees.
A copy of this policy will be furnished to each
student
and
teacher
in this school
district.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 42
BULLYING
It is the policy of this school district that bullying of students by other students, personnel, or the
public will not be tolerated. Students are expected to be civil, polite, and fully engaged in the
learning process. Students who act inappropriately are not fully engaged in the learning process.
This policy is in effect while the students are on school grounds, in school vehicles, at designated
bus stops, at school-sponsored activities, or at school sanctioned events and while away from
school grounds, if the misconduct directly effects the good order, efficient management, and
welfare of the school district. Bullying of students by electronic communication is prohibited
whether or not such communication originated at school with school equipment, if the
communication is specifically directed at students or school personnel and concerns harassment,
intimidation, or bullying at school.
As used in the School Safety and Bullying Prevention Act, “bullying” means any pattern of
harassment, intimidation, threatening behavior, physical acts, verbal or electronic communication
directed toward a student or group of students that results in or is reasonably perceived as being
done with the intent to cause negative educational or physical results for the targeted individual or
group and is communicated in such a way as to disrupt or interfere with the school’s educational
mission or the education of any student. Such behavior is specifically prohibited.
In administering discipline, consideration will be given to alternative methods of punishment to
insure that the most effective discipline is administered in each case. In all disciplinary action,
teachers and administrators will be mindful of the fact that they are dealing with individual
personalities. The faculty may consider consultation with parents to determine the most effective
disciplinary measure.
In considering alternative of corrective actions, the faculty/administration of the school district
will consider those listed below. However, the school is not limited to these alternative methods,
nor does this list reflect an order of sequence of events to follow in disciplinary actions. The
board of education will rely upon the judgement and discretion of the administrator to determine
the appropriate remedial or corrective action in each instance.
1. Conference with student
2. Conference with parents
3. In-school suspension
4. Detention
5. Referral to counselor
6. Behavioral contract
7. Changing student’s seat assignment or class assignment
8. Requiring a student to make financial restitution for damaged property
9. Requiring a student to clean or straighten items or facilities damaged by the student’s
behavior
10. Restriction of privileges
11. Involvement in local authorities
12. Referring student to appropriate social agency or to a delinquency prevention and
diversion program administrated by the Office of Juvenile Affairs
13. Suspension
14. Other appropriate disciplinary action as required and as indicated by the circumstances
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 43
which may include, but is not limited to, removal from eligibility to participate or attend
extracurricular activities as well as removal from the privilege of attending or participating in the
graduation ceremony, school dances, prom, prom activities, and/or class trips.
15. Corporal Punishment.
Harassment set forth above may include, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Verbal, physical or written harassment or abuse;
2. Repeated remarks of a demeaning nature;
3. Implied or explicit threats concerning one’s grades, achievements, etc.;
4. Demeaning jokes, stories, or activities directed at the student;
5. Unwelcome physical contact.
The superintendent shall develop procedures providing for:
1. Prompt investigation of allegations of harassment;
2. The expeditious correction of the conditions causing such harassment;
3. Establishment of adequate measures to provide confidentiality in the complain process;
4. Initiation of appropriate corrective actions;
5. Identification and enactment of methods to prevent reoccurrence of the harassment; and
6. A process where the provisions of this policy are disseminated in writing annually to all
staff and students.
A copy of this policy will be accessible online for each student and teacher in this school
district.
Reference: 21 O.S. §850.0; 70 O.S. §24-100.2
In considering alternatives of corrective actions, the faculty/administration of the school district
will consider those listed below. However, the school is not limited to these alternative methods,
nor does this list reflect an order or sequence of events to follow in disciplinary actions. The
board of education will rely upon the judgement and discretion of the administration to determine
the appropriate remedial or corrective action in each instance.
1. Conference with student
2. Conference with parent
3. In-school suspension
4. Detention
5. Referral to counselor
6. Behavioral contract
7. Changing student’s seat assignment or class assignment
8. Requiring the student to make financial restitution for damaged property
9. Requiring the student to clean or straighten items or facilities damaged by the student’s
behavior
10. Restriction of privileges
11. Involvement of local authorities
12. Referring student to appropriate social agency
13. Suspension
14. Other appropriate disciplinary action as required and as indicated by the circumstances which
may include, but is not limited to, removal from eligibility to participate or attend
extracurricular activities as well as removal from the
privilege
of attending or participating in
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 44
the graduation ceremony, school dances, prom, prom activities, and/or class trips.
Harassment set forth above may include, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Verbal, physical, or written
harassment
or abuse;
2. Repeated remarks of a demeaning nature;
3. Implied or explicit threats concerning one's grades, achievements,
etc.;
4. Demeaning jokes, stories, or
activities directed
at the st
u
den
t:
5. Unwelcome
physical
contact.
The superintendent shall develop procedures providing for:
1.
Prompt investigation of allegations of harassment;
2. The expeditious correction of the
condition
s
causing such harassment;
3.
Establishment of adequate
measures to provide confidentiality in the complaint process;
4. Initiation of
appropriate
corrective actions;
5. Identification and enactment of methods to prevent reoccurrence of harassment; and
6. A process where the provisions of this policy are disseminated in writing annually to all staff
and students.
A copy of this policy will be accessible online for each student and teacher in this school district.
PROHIBITING HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION AND
BULLYING (REGULATION)
Statement of Legislative Mandate and
Purpose
This regulation is a result of the legislative mandate and public policy embodied
in
the School
Bullying
Protection
Act, 70 O.S. §24-100.2. The Oklahoma Legislature requires school
districts to adopt a policy to prevent
harassment, intimidation,
and bullying in an effort to
"create an environment free of unnecessary disruption" and also
requires
school districts to
actively pursue programs for education regarding bullying
behaviors.
The Navajo Public Schools' student conduct code prohibits harassment,
intimidation,
and
bullying.
This
regulation further explains the negative effects of that
behavior and
seeks to
promote strategies for
prevention.
Statement of Board Purpose in Adopting
Policy
The board of education recognizes that intimidation, harassme
nt
,
and bullying
of students
causes serious
educational
and personal problems, both for the student-victim and the initiator
of the intimidation, harassment, and bullying.
The
board observes that this conduct:
--
1.
Has been shown by national and
state studies to have a substantial adverse effect
upon school
district
operations, the safety of students and fa
culty,
and the educational system at large.
2. Substantially disrupts school operations by interfering with the
district's
mission to instruct
students in
an
atmosphere free
from fear,. Is disruptive
of school efforts to encourage
students to remain in school
until
graduation, and is
just
as disruptive of the
district's
efforts to
prepare students for productive lives in
the c
ommunity as they become
adults.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 45
3.
Substantially disrupts
healthy student behavior and
thereby academic achievement.
Research indicates
that
healthy
student
behavior results
in
increased student
academic
achievement. Improvement in student
behavior
through the prevention or minimization of
intimidation, harassment, and bullying towards
student-victims simultaneously
support the
district's
primary and substantial interest in operating schools that foster and
promote
academic achievement
.
4.
Substantially
interferes with school compliance with federal law that seeks to maximize the
mainstreaming of s
tudents with disabilities and hinders compliance with Individual
Educational Programs containing
objectives
t
o
increase the socialization of students with
disabilities. Targets of bullying are often students with
known physical or mental
disabilities
who, as a result, are perceived by bullies as easy targets for bullying
actions.
5. Substantially interferes with the
district's
mission to advance the social skills and social and
emotional
well-
being of students
.
Targets of intimidation, harassment, and bullying are often
"passive-target
"
students
who
already are lacking in social skills because they tend to be
extremely sensitive, shy, display insecurity,
anxiety
and/or distress; may have experienced a
traumatic event; may try to use gifts, toys, money, or class
assign-
ments or performance bribes
to protect themselves from intimidation, harassment, or bullying; are often
small
for their age
and feel vulnerable to bullying acts; and/or may resort to carrying weapons to school for
self-
p
rotection. Passive-target victims who have been harassed and demeaned by the behavior of
bullies
often
respond by striving to obtain power over others by becoming bullies themselves,
and are specifically prone
to
develop into students who eventually inflict serious physical
harm on other students, or, in an effort to
gain
power over their life or situation, commit
suicide.
6. Substantially disrupts school operations by increasing violent acts committed against fellow
students.
Violence, in this context, is frequently accompanied by criminal
acts.
7. Substantially disrupts school operations
by
interfering with the
reasonable expectations
of
other students that they can feel secure at school and not
b
e
subjected to frightening acts or be
the victim of mistreatment resulting from
bullyin
g
behaviors.
Bullying, harassing, and intimidating behavior often involves expressive gestures, speech,
physical acts that are
sexu
ally suggestive, lewd, vulgar, profane, or offensive to the education
or
social
mission of this
school
district, and
at
times involves the commission of criminal acts.
This behavior interferes with the curriculum by disrupting the
pres-
entation of instruction and
also disrupts and interferes with the
student-victim's
or bystander's ability to
concentrate,
retain instruction, and study or to operate free from the effects of intimidation, harassment,
and bullying. This
results
in a reluctance or resistance to attend
school.
Definition of
Terms
I. Statutory definition
of harassment, intimidation and bullying;
70 O.S.
§24-100.3(c)
of the
School Bullying P
rotection
Act defines the terms "harass,
intimidate, or bully,"
as
including, but not
limited
to, any gesture, written or verbal expression,
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 46
or physical act that a reasonable
person
should recognize
will
:
·
A.
Harm another student
B.
Damage another Student’s property
C.
Place another student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or damage the
student’s property; or
D. Insult or demean any student or group of students in such a way as to disrupt or interfere
with the
school's
educational mission or the education of any
student.
2. The “
Reasonable
Person"
Standard
In determining what a "reasonable person" should recognize as an act placing a student in
"reasonable"
fear
of
harm, staff will determine
"reasonableness"
not only from the point of
view of a mature adult, but also from
the
point of view of an immature child of the age of the
intended victim along with, but not limited to,
con
sideration of special emotional, physical, or
mental needs of the particular child; personality or physical
char
acteristics, or history that
might cause the child to be particularly sensitive to efforts by a bully to
humiliate,
embarrass,
or lower the self esteem of the victim; and the discipline history, personality of, and
physical
characteristics of the individual alleged to have engaged in the prohibited
behavior.
3. General Display of Bullying
Acts
Bullying, for purposes of this section of the regulation, includes harassment and
intimidation
,
and vice
versa.
According to experts in the field, bullying in general is the exploitation of a
less powerful person by an
indi
vidual taking unfair advantage of that person, which is repeated
over
time
,
and which inflicts a negative
effect
on the victim. The
seriousness
of a bullying act
depends on the harm inflicted upon the victim and the
fre
quency of the offensive acts. Power
may be, but is not limited to, physical
strength social
skill, verbal
ability
,
or other
characteristic
s
.
Bullying acts by students
have been
described in several
differe
nt c
ategories.
A
.
Physical Bullying includes harm or threatened harm to
another's
body or property,
including
,
but
not
limited to, what would reasonably be foreseen as a serious expression
of intent to inflict physical harm
or
property damage through verbal or written speech or
gestures directed at the
student-victim
,
when
con
sidering the factual circumstances in
which the threat was made and the reaction of the intended
victim
.
Common acts
include
tripping, Hitting, p
u
shing
,
pinching, pulling hair, kicking,
biting
,
starting
fight
s
,
daring others to fight, stealing or destroying
property
,
extortion,
assaults with a
weapon
,
other
violent act
s
,
and
homicide
.
B
.
Emotional Bullying includes the intentional infliction of harm to
another's
self-esteem
,
including
,
but
no
t
limited to, insulting or profane remarks, insulting or profane
gesture
s
,
or harassing and frightening
state
ment, when such
event
s
are
considered
in light of the
surrounding facts, the history of the
students
involved,
and
age,
maturity, and special
characteristics
of the
students.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 47
C.
Social Bullying includes harm to
another's
group acceptance, including, but not limited
to,
harm
resulting
from intentionally gossiping about another student or
intentionally
spreading negative rumors
about
another student
that results
in the victim being
excluded from a school activity or student
group; the intentional
planning and/or
implementation of acts or statements that inflict public humiliation upon
a
student; the
inte
n
tiona
l
undermining
of current relationships of the victim-student through the
spreading
of untrue
gossip
or rumors designed to humiliate or embarrass the student;
the use of
gossi
p
,
rumor
s
,
or
humiliating
acts
designed to deprive the student of awards,
recognition, or involvement in school
activi
ties; the false or malicious spreading of an
untrue statement or statements about another student
that
exposes the victim to
contempt or ridicule or deprives the victim of the confidence and respect of
student
p
eers; or the making of false statements to others that the student has committed a
crime
,
or has
an
infectious, contagious, or loathsome
disease
,
or similar egregious
representations.
D. Sexual Bullying includes harm to another resulting from, but not limited
to,
making
unwelcome
sexual comments
about the
student
;
making
vulgar,
profane
,
or lewd
comments or drawings or graffiti about
the
victim; directing vulgar,
profane
,
or lewd
gestures toward the victim; committing
physical
acts of a
sexual
nature at
school
,
including the fondling or touching of private parts of the
victim’
s
body;
participation
in
the gossiping or spreading of false rumors about the
student’s
sexual
life;
written or
verbal
statement
s
directed at the victim that would reasonably be interpreted as a
serious threat to force the victim to
com
mit sexual acts or to sexually assault the victim
when considering the factual
circumstances
in which
the
threat was made and the
reaction of the
intended
victim
;
off-campus dating violence by a student
that
adversely
affects the
victim's
school performance or behavior, attendance
,
participation in school
func
tions or extracurricular activities, or makes the victim fearful at
school
of the
assaulting bully; or
the
commission of sexual assault, rape, or homicide. Such conduct
may also constitute sexual
harassment-
also prohibited by Navajo Public
Schools.
Procedures
Applicable to the Understanding of and Prevention of Harassment,
Intimidation, and Bullying of
Students
1. Student and Staff Education and
Training
All staff will be provided with a copy of the
district's
policy on prevention of harassment,
intimidation, and
bullying of students. All students will be provided a summary of the policy
and notice that a copy of the
entire
policy is available on request. Navajo Public Schools is
committed to providing
appropriate
and relevant training to staff regarding identification of
behavior constituting harassment,
intimidation, and
bullying of students and .the prevention
and
management
of such conduct.
Students, like staff members, shall participate in an annual education: program that sets out
expectations for
student behavior and emphasizes an understanding of harassment,
intimidation, and bullying of students,
the
district's
prohibition of such conduct, and the
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 48
reasons why the conduct is destructive,
unacceptable,
and
will
lead to discipline.
Students
shall
also be informed of the consequences of bullying conduct toward their
peers.
2. Navajo Public School’s Safe School Committee
The safe school committee has the responsibility of studying and making recommendations
regarding
unsafe
conditions, strategies for students to avoid harm at school, student
victimization, crime prevention,
school
violence and other issues that interfere with an
adversely affect the maintenance of safe
schools.
With respect to student harassment, intimidation, and bullying, the safe school committee shall
consider
and make recommendations regarding
professional staff development needs of
faculty and other staff related
to
methods to decrease student harassment, intimidation, and
bullying and understanding and identifying
bullying
behaviors. In addition, the committee
shall make
recommendations
regarding: identification of methods
to
encourage the
involvement of the community and students in addressing conduct involving bullying;
methods to enhance
relationships between students and school staff in order to strengthen
communication; and
fashioning of problem-solving teams that include counselors and/or
school
psychologist
s
.
In accomplishing its objectives, the committee shall review traditional and accepted
harassment,
intimidation,
and bullying
prevention
programs utilized by other states, state
agencies, or school districts.
Student Reporting
Students are encouraged to inform school personnel if they are the victim of or a witness to
acts of
harassment, intimidation,
or
bullyin
g
.
Staff
Reporting
An important duty of the staff is to report acts or behavior that the employee witnesses that
appears to constitute harassing, intimidating, or bullying. Employees, whether certified or
noncertified, shall encourage students who tell them about acts that may constitute intimidation,
harassment, or bullying to complete a report form. For young students, staff members given that
information will need to provide direct assistance to the student.
Staff members who witness such events are to complete reports and to submit them to the
employee designated by
the
superintendent to receive them. Staff members who hear of
incidents that may, in the staff
member's
judgment, constitute harassment, intimidation, or
bullying, are to report all relevant information to the
superintendent
or his/her
designee.
Parental
Responsibilities
Parents/guardians
will be informed in writing of the
district's
program to stop intimidation,
harassment, and
bullying.
An
administrative
response to a reported act of
intimidation,
harassment, or bullying m
ay involve certain actions to
be
taken by parents. Parents will be
informed of the program and the means for students to report bullying acts
toward them
or
other students. They will also be told that to help
prevent bullying
at school they should
encourage their
children
to:
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 49
1. Report bullying
when
it
occurs;
2. Take advantage of opportunities to talk to their children about bullying;
3. Inform the school immediately if they think their child is being bullied or is bullying other
students;
4. Watch for symptoms that their child may be a victim of bullying and report those symptoms;
and
5. Cooperate fully with school personnel in identifying and resolving incidents.
PROHIBITING HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION AND
BULLYING
(INVESTIGATION PROCEDURES
)
The following procedures will be used by any person for the filing, processing, and
resolution
of a
reported incident of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or threatening behavior. The procedures
are to
b
e
followed by the administration of the school district in an effort to determine the severity
of the incident and the potential to result in future violence.
Definitions
1. "Harassment, intimidation, and bullying" means any
gesture;
written or
verbal expression,
electronic
communication,
or physical act that a reasonable
person should
know will harm
another student, damage another student's property, place another student in reasonable fear of
harm to the student's person or damage the student’s property, insult or demean any student or
group of students in such a way as to disrupt or interfere with the school’s educational
mission or the education of any student. Harassment, Intimidation, and bullying include, but
are not limited to, gestures, written, verbal, or physical acts, or electronic communications.
"Electronic communication" mean the communication of any written, verbal, or pictorial
information
by
means of an electronic device, including, but not limited to, a telephone, a
cellular telephone or other wireless communication device, or a computer.
"Threatening behavior" means any
patter
n of behavior or isolated action,
whether
or not it is
directed
at
another person, that a reasonable person would believe indicates potential for future
harm to students, school personnel, or school property.
Procedures
The procedure for investigating
reported incidents of, harassment, intimidation, and
bullying
or
threatening behavior, is as follows:
-
·
·
-
1.
The matter should immediately be
reported to the building principal. If the bullying involved
an electronic communication, a printed copy of the communication as well as any identifying
information such as e-mail address or web address shall be provided to the building
principal. As much detailed information as possible should be provided to the building
principal in written form to allow for a thorough investigation of the matter.
2.
Upo
n receipt of a written report, the building principal shall contact the
superintendent
and
begin an investigation to determine the severity of
the incident
and the potential for future
violence.
3. If, during the course of the investigation, it appears that a crime may have been committed
the building principal or superintendent shall notify local law enforcement and request
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 50
that the alleged victim
also
contact law enforcement to report the matter for potential criminal
investigation.
4. If it is determined that the school district's discipline code has been violated, the building
principal shall follow district policies regarding the discipline of the student.
5. Upon completion of the investigation, the principal or superintendent may recommend that
available community mental health care options be provided to the student, if appropriate.
This may include
information
about the types of support services available to the student
bully. Victim and any other students affected by the prohibited behavior. If such a
recommendation is made, the administration shall request disclosure of any information that
indicates an explicit threat to the safety
of students
or school
personnel
provided the
disclosure of information does not violate the provisions or requirements of the
Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of
1996,
Section 2503 of Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Section
1376 of
Title
59 of Oklahoma Statutes, or
any
other state or federal laws relating to the
disclosure of
confidential Information
DISCIPLINE POLICY
The school's primary goal is to educate, not discipline. However, when the behavior of an
individual student comes in conflict with the rights of others, corrective actions are necessary for
the benefit of the individual and of the school.
By Oklahoma Statutes, the teacher of a child attending a public school shall have the same right
as a parent or guardian to control and discipline such child as in attendance or in transit to or from
the school or any other school function authorized by the school district or classroom presided
over by the teacher.
The goal of this disciplinary policy is to correct the misconduct of the individual and to promote
adherence by that student and by other students to the policies and regulations of the district.
Faculty response to student misconduct is a matter directly influencing the morale of the entire
student body. As such, all students will be treated in a fair and equitable manner. Disciplinary
action will be based on a careful assessment of the circumstances surrounding each infraction.
Examples of the circumstances are: The student's attitude, the seriousness of the offense, and its
potential effect on other students, among other things.
In administering discipline, consideration will be given to alternative methods of punishment to
insure that the most effective discipline is administered in each case. In all disciplinary actions,
the faculty will be mindful of the fact that they are dealing with individual personalities. The
faculty will consider consultation with parents on disciplinary measures that might prove most
effective in particular instances.
(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 51
In considering alternatives for disciplinary action, the faculty and administration of Navajo Public
School will be using items from the following:
We would like to emphasize that the alternatives for discipline will include the items listed above,
but will not be limited to that list. Nor should it be misconstrued in any way that this list reflects
an order or sequence of events as to how disciplinary actions will take place.
Excessive discipline encounters may result in one being prohibited from participating in
extracurricular events.
PROTECTION OF PUPIL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232h, requires Navajo Schools
to notify the parents and obtain consent to allow parents to opt their child out of participating in
certain school activities. These activities include a student survey, analysis, or evaluation that
concerns one or more of the following eight areas (“protected information surveys”):
1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parents;
2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
3. Sex behavior or attitudes;
4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have chosen family relationships;
6. Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
This requirement also applies to the collection, disclosure or use of student information for
marketing purposes (“marketing surveys”), and certain physical exams and screenings.
1.
Conference with student
11.Parental conference / advise parent
2.
Assignment to the classroom at noon
12.Isolation
3.
Work assignments
13.Suspension
4.
Cleaning assignments
14.Expulsion
5.
Retention at lunch
15.Remove from class or group (temp/permanent)
6.
Zero hour
16.Financial restitution
7.
Staying after school
17.Referral to other social agencies
8.
In-house detention
18.Involve law enforcement
9.
Corporal punishment
19.Alternative School
10
.
Probationary period
20. Any other disciplinary action deemed
appropriate under the circumstances.
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 52
HARASSMENT/BULLYING INCIDENT REPORT FORM
Date: Time: Room/Location
Student(s) Initiating Bullying/Harassment
Grade: Class:
Grade: Class:
Student(s) Affected:
Grade: Class:
Grade: Class:
Type of Harassment Alleged:
Racial Sexual Religious Other
Check all spaces below that apply. Adult stated or identified inappropriate behaviors as:
Name Calling Spitting
Stalking Demeaning Comments
Inappropriate Gestures Stealing
Staring/Leering Damaging Property
Writing Graffiti Shoving/Pushing
Threatening Hitting/Kicking
Taunting/Ridiculing Flashing a weapon
Inappropriate touching Intimidation/Extortion
Other
Describe the incident:
Witnesses Present:
Physical evidence: Graffiti Notes E-mail Web sites
Video/audio tape Other
Staff Signature
Parent(s) contacted: Date Time
Administrative response taken:
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
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NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 54
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 55
Index
Topic Page #
Absences 4
Absent with Parental Permission 4
Academic Bowl 10
Academic Eligibility 6, 7
Academic Probation 6
Activities and Organizations 10
Activity Absences 4
Administration 2
Alcohol/Chemical Abuse 21
Alternative Education 17, 18
Announcements 5
Annual Notice Concerning Student Records 30
Asbestos Notice 53
Asthma Medication and Self Administration 24
Athletics 10, 11
Attendance 4, 6, 7
Attendance Eligibility 7
Bad Weather Closings and Weather Drills 6, 7
Bell Schedule 5
Board of Education 2
Bullying 21, 42-50,
52
Bus Rules 16
Bus Transportation 5
Cafeteria 5
Calendar 1
Career Tech 15
Cell Phones 9
Checking out of School 6
Cheer Leading 10, 11
Child Abuse / Neglect 9
Child Find Notice 32
Class Activities 11
Class Parties 11
Class Sponsors 11
Closing School 6
Clubs 10
Code of Conduct for Internet Use 41
College Days 6
Concurrent Enrollment 12
Conduct Subject to Discipline 21-23
Topic Page #
Correspondence Courses 13
Course Offerings 13
Dances 12
Discipline Policy 50-51
Dress Code 17
Driver’s Education 14
Electronic Devices 9
Elementary Faculty 2
Eligibility 6-7
Emergency Drills 7
Entrance Requirements 7
Excused Absences 4
Exemptions from Semester Tests 14
Faculty 2
FERPA Policy Statement 26
FFA / TSA 10, 11
Fifth Week Reports 14
Final Exams 14
Fire Evacuation 7
Fire, Storm and Lock-Down Procedures 7
Food on Campus 17
Fund Raisers 11
Grade Book 14
Grade Point Average 14
Grades 13, 14
Grading Scale 14
Graduation 8, 15
Graduation Requirements 15
Grievance Procedures 8
Harassment 21, 22,
43-50, 52
Harassment/Bullying Incident Form 52
Hazing 21, 41
High School / Junior High Faculty 2
Home Coming King/Queen 18
Home Work 8
Honor Graduates 16
Honor Rolls 16
Internet and Internet Use 39
Internet Based Instruction 29
Junior / Senior Banquet / Prom 12
NAVAJO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018
Page 56
Library 9
Lock Down 7
Lockers and School Property 9
Make Up Work 14
Medication 23, 24
Meningitis Fact Sheet 33
Mid Term and Final tests 14
Mr. & Miss NHS / NJHS 12
National Honor Society 15
Navajo School Board 2
Nondiscrimination 9
Oklahoma Honor Society 16
Oklahoma Junior Honor Society 16
On-Line Gradebook 14
Parent Notice Special Ed. Records 31
Parent’s Rights to Know 31
Parties and Dances 11, 12
Principals Honor Roll 16
Probation 6, 19
Proficiency Based Promotion 15
Promotion & Retention 9
Pupil Rights Amendment 51
Retaking a Course 15
Salutatorian / Valedictorian 16
Schedule Changes 9
School Hours 3
Search / Seizure 9, 17
Self Admin of Asthma Meds 24
Severe Weather Emergency 7
Special Education 15
Spirit Week 12
Staff 2
Student Classification 10
Student Council 10, 11, 12
Student Records 26, 30, 31
Student Vehicles 10
Superintendent’s Honor Roll 16
Suspension 18-20
Tardies 4
Testing 14
Textbooks and Other School Property 9
Tobacco / Tobacco Products 22
Transfer Application Procedure 8
Transfers 8
Truancy 5
Unexcused Absences 4
Vehicles 10
Visitors 10
Vo-Tech 15
Weapons 23
Withdrawals from Navajo 5