Keith McCarthy Academy Parent and Student Handbook

Keith McCarthy Academy Parent and Student Handbook

Welcome to Keith McCarthy Academy. We will do our best to help you become familiar with KMA, help you to achieve your dreams and guide you towards your high school diploma. Your decision to attend KMA will require you to invest in your future. Making good decisions will require continuous self-appraisal, investigation of opportunities and decision-making by both you and your parents.

Let the choices you make today, be the choices you can live with tomorrow.

Keith McCarthy Academy 520 Chaney Street Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 Office Number (951)253-7065 Fax Number (951)245-1988 Classroom Number (951) 253-7112

Mrs. Amy Campbell, Principal Mr. Victor Bond, Counselor Mrs. Albertina Atienza, Secretary to the Principal Mrs. Penny Berry, Registrar Mrs. Ruby Vander-Velde, Attendance Clerk Mrs. Sandy Marquez, Computer Assistant Ms. Tootsie Bishop, Lead Custodian Mr. Tony Evans, Custodian

Keith McCarthy Academy Teachers

ext. 2101 ext. 2102 ext. 2104 ext. 2115 ext. 2106 ext. 3056

amy.campbell@leusd.k12.ca.us victor.bond@leusd.k12.ca.us albertina.atienza@leusd.k12.ca.us penny.berry@leusd.k12.ca.us ruby.vander-velde@leusd.k12.ca.us sandra.marquez@leusd.k12.ca.us tootsie.bishop@leusd.k12.ca.us anthony.evans@leusd.k12.ca.us

(951) 253-7112

Mrs. Kathy Castagneto Ms.Sheila Fairbanks Mr. Adam Read Mrs. Barbara Sanders Mr. Steven Fitch

kathy.castagneto@leusd.k12.ca.us sheila.fairbanks@leusd.k12.ca.us adam.read@leusd.k12.ca.us barbara.sanders@leusd.k12.ca.us steven.fitch@leusd.k12.ca.us

Keith McCarthy Academy Instructional Assistants Mrs. Shirley Murillo Mrs. Durene Southward

shirley.murillo@leusd.k12.ca.us durene.southward@leusd.k12.ca.us

Lake Elsinore Unified School District Governing Board Susan E. Scott Heidi Mathies Dodd Jeanie Corral Stan Crippen Tom Thomas Superintendent

Dr. Douglas G..Kimberly

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Keith McCarthy Academy Mission Statement As a professional learning community, the Keith McCarthy Academy High School staff provides a culture of collaboration for continuous improvement. The staff focuses on providing research and standards based curriculum while addressing the needs of all students. We evaluate our effectiveness as educators through assessment of student achievement. We constantly monitor student progress and provide strategies and interventions for all learners.

Vision Statement The Keith McCarthy Academy is dedicated to providing a supportive learning environment that is conducive to learning and encourages high student achievement.

Keith McCarthy students will be prepared to become socially, academically, and technologically successful and contributing participants in our global society.

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Student Learning Goals EARN

R

Keith McCarthy Academy will prepare students to Responsible Residents Value and respect others Set personal goals and take ownership of decisions and actions Are resourceful and prepared for any occasion

E

Economically Equipped Possess knowledge and skills to seek and maintain employment Become and remain technologically proficient Engage in productive trainings for advancement in careers

S

Socially Skilled Read, understand and evaluate written information Express thoughts and feelings orally and in writing Communicate effectively and work well with others

P

Persistent Problem-Solvers

Work cooperatively with others to solve problems and conflicts Gather, evaluate, analyze and interpret data using a variety of techniques Are resilient and use critical thinking skills to solve problems

E

Environmentally Empathetic Show concern for the environment Encourage others to take interest in their surrounding, global environment Become actively involved in local and worldwide environmental issues

C

Community Contributors Understand the importance of community involvement Participate in activities around the community Encourage others to partake in volunteering their time within the community

T

Timeless Thinkers

Demonstrate intellectual, creative, reflective and resilient characteristics Consider moral and ethical solutions to local, national and global issues Understand the importance of physical, social, emotional and mental health

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Keith McCarthy Academy Independent Study Overview Independent Study is an alternative program of choice where a student may receive instruction a minimum of one hour per week. The student will be given coursework that aligns with the state standards and the LEUSD high school curriculum. A student is expected to work a minimum of 20 hours on his/her coursework at home. In order to receive full attendance credit, a student must attend every week for a minimum of one hour and have his/her work assignment completed. Students who require academic support will be required to attend specialized instruction classes. These classes will be an additional attendance requirement. There are no excused absences. After a combination of three absences or incompletes, a student will be dropped and referred to guidance council for an alternative placement.

Keith McCarthy Academy is a fully accredited school by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Keith McCarthy Academy utilizes the state standard curriculum that has been approved by the Lake Elsinore Unified School District and follows the district requirements for graduation.

The independent study program at KMA is taught utilizing a team teaching format. KMA teachers are highly qualified and credentialed in all core curriculum courses. One course will be assigned at a time. CORE academic classes will be assigned first. A ten credit class will be assigned for four weeks. A five credit course will be assigned for two weeks. There are exceptions, however, English is a six week assignment, Science is an eight week assignment and Algebra or any other higher level math class will be assigned by teacher determination. As a general rule, the higher level math classes will be completed in the classroom under teacher direction, and the student will receive a different course to be completed at home. When a student completes a course, he/she will be assigned a new course. A student may move ahead and complete a course in a shorter amount of time, however, all work turned in must meet a minimum passing score.

Quality work is a priority! If a student turns in work that has many corrections, his/her pace maybe slowed down due to corrections that will need to be made in order to achieve a passing grade. A student will have two opportunities to correct their work to a passing grade. If the work is still failing, the student will receive an F and have to repeat the course.

Students are expected to earn 20 credits per quarter. A quarter is nine weeks.

Students can earn a minimum of 80 credits per school year.

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Attendance Hours Keith McCarthy Academy

Monday

9:00am-10:00 am 10:00am-11:00am 11:00am-1:00pm 11:00 am-2:30pm

Tuesday

8:00 am-6:00pm

Classroom Attendance

Wednesday 8:00 am-6:00pm

Classroom Attendance

Thursday

Classroom Attendance

8:00 am-2:30pm

Math Support Class English Support Class Math Tutoring Classroom attendance

Students are expected to attend on their assigned day with their work completed. Doors are locked at 2:30 pm Monday and Thursday and at 6:00 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. If a student comes after these times, he/she cannot stay one hour and therefore cannot receive attendance credit.

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Attendance Policies  Parents must provide transportation to and from school.  Students must attend a minimum of one hour one day per week, unless they need academic support.  There is no maximum attendance requirement. Students may attend as often as they need to during school hours. Students who need academic support will be required to attend on Monday for specialized instruction.  There are no excused absences.  Assigned work is to be completed before the student arrives in class, or the work will be considered incomplete.  Incomplete assignments are considered absences.  Students are expected to attend on their assigned day. That is the day they will receive their attendance credit.  If a student needs to change their attendance day, a formal request must be made. The request form is available online on the KMA Website. The request will be reviewed by the team on the Friday of the week the request was made. Student and parent will be contacted if it is approved.  Students are required to participate in state testing. Failure to do so will result in removal from Keith McCarthy Academy.  After a combination of three absences and/or incompletes, the student will be dropped and transferred to another school.

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Work Assignments    

       

 



Assigned work must be submitted every week.

CORE academic classes are a priority and will be assigned first.

Students will be assigned one class at a time.

If a student wants more than one class, a request must be made and submitted to the KMA staff for review. The form is online on the KMA website. The staff will review the request on the Friday of the week it was submitted. Students will be notified of the decision when they attend class the next week.

All work must be done carefully and completely. Follow directions.

Finish assignments at home. Classroom time is to be used for computer work or for assistance from a teacher.

All work is corrected.

Incomplete books will not be graded. Student will be considered absent that week.

Carelessly completed books will not be given credit. Student will be considered absent that week.

Workbooks with pages torn out will be reissued. Student will be considered absent that week.

A book that was written in by two or more people will not be accepted. The book will be reissued. The student will be considered absent that week.

Corrections are to be completed within one week from when they were returned. Two opportunities will be given for students to correct work to a passing grade. If after the second attempt the work is still failing, the student will receive an F in the course and will have to repeat the course.

Students are not to graffiti or deface textbooks or workbooks. No credit will be given and students will be reissued the assignment.

Students who transfer back to their home school at semester must have all course work completed. KMA will not issue partial credits or allow transferring students to continue on their unfinished assignments while attending their home school.

Summer assignments will be assigned only to returning KMA students.

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Assessments  State testing is mandatory. Students are required to attend and participate. Failure to do so can result in removal from the school.  CAHSEE AND CST testing will be administered in the OHS multipurpose room.  Students will be notified if they are to participate in additional mandatory testing such as the CELDT or 9th grade Physical Fitness Assessment.

CAHSEE: October November February March May

2st,3rd 6th, 7th 5th, 6th 12th, 13th 14th, 15th

CST Testing: Thursday: 3:30 pm-6:30pm Friday: 10:00 am-3:00pm

Extra Curricular Activities Keith McCarthy Academy students may participate a variety of activities that are open to Ortega High School students. These activities include but are not limited to Career Days, field trips, guest speakers at OHS, assemblies, Photo Club, OHS/KMA prom, senior barbeque, sports activities.

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Parent Communication  Parent and teacher communication is welcomed and encouraged.

Teachers may be contacted either through phone (951) 253-7112, or through email. Parents may sit with their student in class. A parent or teacher may request a conference at any time.  Keith McCarthy Academy has two online sites to access information and student academic support: District Website: Lake Elsinore Unified School District alternative schools Keith McCarthy Academy or kmacademy wikispaces.com (This site has student instructional materials and resources)  A letter will be sent home after each absence or incomplete.  A mandatory parent conference will be held at the end of the first semester. Grades and progress will be reviewed at that time.

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LEUSD Graduation Requirements Courses 1.

1a.

2.

Credits

English English 9 English 10 English 11 English 12

10 10 10 10

Linguistics (Language Arts Lab)** Required only for incoming 9th Grade Students below 39 Percentile on SAT-9. **Credit applied to Elective credit requirement.

Social Science World History U.S. History Government/ Economics

10**

10 10 10

3.

Science, 3 Courses 10 Life, 10 Physical, 10 other Science course

30

4.

Mathematics, 3 Courses Includes completion of Algebra I. Student will continue enrollment in Math Course until CAHSEE requirement is met.

30

5.

Physical Education, 2 Courses

20

6.

Health Education

5

7.

Fine Arts, 1 Courses Art, Music, Drama, or Foreign Language

10

8.

Electives

55

9.

Community Service Hours Consists of 40 clock hours: Cannot be done for money, credit, or a member of your family. May be for a non-profit organization and can be for more than one organization.

10.

Pass California High School Exit Exam with a score of 350 or better in both English and Math Total Credits:

40 hrs

220

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Discipline Policies Academic Dishonesty /Cheating /Forgery/ Fraud/Falsifying Documents Academic dishonesty is the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for work by dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent, means. Students are to do their own work, without assistance from others. Plagiarisms, copying from other students on assignments, tests, quizzes, or research projects are examples of academic dishonesty. It is also prohibited to share your work with someone else for copying. Students are responsible for being informed of what constitutes academic dishonesty, cheating, forgery, and falsifying documents and for following school policy.

It is within the teachers or administration discretion to make judgments regarding offenses.

Campus & Classroom Disruption/Defiance/Insubordination/Disobedience The classroom and campus will be a safe place for our students and staff. Students who intimidate, harass, or threaten other students will be dealt with promptly. The campus is to remain a neutral site and any disruption will not be tolerated.

Cell Phones/Electronics (iPods, MP3 players, cameras, PSPs) Cell phones or iPods will not be permitted to disrupt instruction, instructional programs, and or school-related activities. Cell phones must be turned off and out of site during all instructional periods. Text messaging is also not allowed during class time. Students are not allowed to use cell phones to record or take unauthorized pictures/videos during school. Keith McCarthy Academy assumes no responsibility for the protection of, the loss of, and or the damage to any cell phone or any other electronic device. Confiscated materials will be released to the parent/guardian.

Destruction of Property/Vandalism/Graffiti Destruction of property including vandalism and tagging will not be tolerated. Students are also not permitted to have spray paint, felt-tipped markers, stickers, or any other type of etching tools or devices.

Display of Affection Excessive display of affection is not appropriate. Use good judgment at all times.

Dress Code Parents have a responsibility to see that their students are dressed for school appropriately.

KMA has the responsibility of maintaining proper and appropriate conditions conducive to student learning. No strapless, spaghetti straps, or backless dresses or shirts, tube tops, lowcut tops, bare midriffs, pictures of alcohol, drugs, weapons or clothing that does not cover your underwear. Use common sense. The administration retains sole discretion to make the final determination whether clothing, jewelry, accessories, tattoos, and or appearance meet acceptable standards.

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Food Many students spend extended hours in the classroom. Students are allowed to bring food and drink into the classroom. Students must behave responsibly or the privilege will be revoked.

Illegal Drugs/Paraphernalia Students are not to use or be in the possession of any legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or drug paraphernalia.

Explosives/Fireworks Students are not to be engaged in sales, possession of, or use of any explosive.

Friends Students are not to bring friends to class.

Gang-Related Activities/Dress Gang activity may include, but is not limited to, the following: flashing signs, intimidation, dress/attire, graffiti and or tagging. The above list is not inclusive. The administration will reserve the right to determine gang-related activity. Attire that is considered gang-related includes, but is not limited to: excessively baggy pants (pants must stay up without a belt), 69 shirts, dangling belt, red shoelaces, or clothing or symbols associated with white supremacists/racists groups.

Intimidating/Fighting Keith McCarthy Academy will be a safe environment for all. Any acts of intimidation will be referred to the principal immediately and dealt with severely. Any student involved in a fight will be transferred to an alternative school. Any student who jumps in a fight to help a friend during an altercation will be considered fighting and dealt with accordingly.

Knife/Weapons Students may not be in possession of any knife or sharp object.

Medication Students are not to have any medication in their possession including aspirin, cough drops, etc. If it is necessary for a student to take medication during school hours, obtain the proper forms in the office and have them completed by parents or guardians and physician. The forms are to be returned to the office with the medicine in the prescription bottle. Medicine will be administered according to the physician’s directions.

Moving Towards an Altercation Students are not allowed to move toward an altercation or impede an adult from moving in the direction of the altercation.

Out of Bounds Students are to remain on the Valley Adult School side of campus. Students are not to interact with Ortega High School students. Students are also not to be on any comprehensive high 13

school campus during their school day. If a student needs to be on a high school campus, he/she must check in at the front office and get a visitor’s pass.

Profanity/Verbal Abuse/Racists Remarks Students and staff shall speak and be spoken to respectfully. The use of profanity, verbal abuse, ethnic/racial slurs, intimidation, etc. is not tolerated.

Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is:  Unwanted sexual advances, leering, making sexual gestures, displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, cartoons, or posters.  Making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, or jokes.  Sexual comments about an individual’s body, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual or suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations by anyone is harassment.  Physical touching or assault, as well as impeding or blocking the individual’s movement is also considered sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment includes many forms of offensive behavior, including harassment of a person of the same gender as the harasser. If you feel that you have been sexually harassed by a peer, teacher, coach or anyone of power, you have options. Seek the assistance of a school official immediately. We take all complaints seriously and will investigate immediately.

Students also may file a complaint. Complaint forms are in the front office.

Smoking/Possession of Tobacco Products Students are not to use or be in possession of tobacco products including cigarettes, rolling papers, and lighters. Items will be confiscated and a referral to tobacco cessation class may be made.

Theft Students are not to touch or take others belongings without permission.

Transportation District transportation is not provided for KMA students. RTA routes and times are available in the office. The RTA bus stop is near the district office, just down from KMA. Students who have a driver’s license may drive to school and park in front after receiving a student-parking permit from the front office.

Welcome to Keith McCarthy Academy Let the choices you make today, be choices you can live with tomorrow.

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