Student Conduct

Pershing Middle School has high expectations for student conduct. Students are expected to follow the school and classroom rooms set by teachers and school administration.

Class Behavior

Pershing Middle School students are expected to behave in such a way that promotes learning.
You are expected to:

Arrive on time to class with all of the necessary materials (paper, textbooks, writing utensils, etc.)
Be an active participant in your learning (ask questions, complete assignments, etc.)
Make every effort to learn the information
Interact respectfully with both your peers and teachers

A few sample behaviors that impede the learning process and are violations at Pershing are:

Not following the classroom rules and procedures
Eating or chewing gum in classrooms and hallways.
Acts of disrespect: talking at inappropriate times, horse-playing, laughing at other students, failure to respond promptly and appropriately to an adult, etc.
Refusal to participate in classroom activities and/or learning process
Use of inappropriate language, gestures, and/or clothing*
Dishonest acts: cheating, plagiarism, forging signatures, and lying to school officials*

*Examples of more serious violations

Hallway Behavior

If you are in the hall during class, you must have a pass from a teacher or school official and proceed quietly so as not to disturb those engaged in the learning process.
During passing periods, you are expected to

Walk briskly (not run) to class, stay to the right of hallway.
Talk at a reasonable volume, and
Keep your hands to yourself (This includes inappropriate displays of affection: hugging, kissing, holding hands, etc.)
No Eating or chewing gum in classrooms and hallways.
Students are not allowed to be in any area of the school without the supervision of an adult. This includes gym locker rooms, the cafeteria, classrooms, etc. If you are in an unsupervised area, you will be considered in violation of the student expectations.

Consequences for Behavioral Expectations	School teacher or officials may:
First violation	Issue a warning Report inappropriate behavior to cluster leader & document in cluster binder.
Second violation* *or more severe first incident	Notify the parent and/or request a parent conference Issue a cluster/teacher detention Lower conduct grade or academic grade due to cheating.
Third violation	Notify parent and/or request a parent conference Refer student to their Dean

Assembly Behavior

Periodically, the school will have assemblies for such purposes as information dissemination, Fine Arts performances, celebrations and discipline. Students are expected to be courteous to the individual/group performing by exhibiting appropriate, respectful assembly behaviors. Students need to follow the school and auditorium rules. Students will sit in the seats assigned by their teacher.

Bus Behavior

As the bus is an extension of the school, you must abide by the same rules as if on campus. While on the school bus, you are expected to:

Treat the bus driver with courtesy and respect
Respond promptly and honestly to all reasonable requests
Remain seated until your appropriate stop
Speak in a reasonable volume
Refrain from eating and/or drinking
Keep all personal items in or under the seat

Consequences	Bus drivers may:
First violation	Issue a warning
Second violation* *or more serious first offense	Refer the student to their Dean. Loss of bus privileges

Severe Behavior Violations

There are certain behaviors that are intolerable at Pershing Middle School. These actions are met with the strictest consequences that include in-school suspension (ATS), out of school suspension, referral to alternative school.
Those behaviors include (but are not limited to):

Fighting
Intimidating/Bullying/Harassment
Vandalism/Destruction of school property
Inappropriate interaction with students and staff

Consequences	School officials may:
First and/or subsequent violations	Notify parents and request a parent conference Assign in or out of school suspension or detention Refer students to alternative placement

*Penalties for offenses related to more severe behavior infractions are cumulative over the full period you are enrolled at Pershing. For example, if you have a fight in the sixth grade and have another in seventh, you have two violations on record.

Cafeteria Behavior

Students are expected to use appropriate behavior during lunch period and to dispose of any trash when they are dismissed.Students are allowed to bring their own lunches to school; lunches must be kept in lockers until students lunch period.

Breakfast	8:00 a.m. - 8:25 a.m (Students can enter cafeteria from side door)
Lunch	12:00p.m – 2:15 p.m

Fire Drill Behavior

During fire drills, you are expected to exit the building quickly and quietly while under the supervision of your teacher. Any deviance from these expectations is considered a severe behavior violation.

Parent Notification of Violations

Parents may be notified of violations by phone, email, student agenda, or other written documents. In such notifications, parents could be asked to attend a cluster conference or simply be asked to sign the document verifying that they understand the consequences you are receiving for your misbehavior. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the parent/guardian a copy of any written notifications from teachers and school administration.

Dean Referrals

Once a student has been referred to their Dean, the Dean may assign alternative consequences. Some of those consequences include: after-school or Saturday detention, in-school detention, out of school suspension, and/or referral to an alternative placement.

The listing of specific rules is not intended to be all-inclusive. You will be subject to disciplinary action any time your behavior is disruptive, illegal, or inconsiderate of others. The specific consequences will be assigned by your Dean.