Hesperia Junior High is committed to the education of all students and to maintain a safe, positive learning environment. Students are expected to know school and classroom rules, and to assume responsibility for their actions. Disciplinary actions such as suspension, PASS (Positive Alternative to School Suspension), excessive tardies or truancies, may result in loss of extra-curricular privileges such as end-of-year activities, sports events, dances, etc. Each teacher will provide each student with his/her class rules and explain expectations. The school provides each student with a handbook containing school rules and laws, and the administration holds discipline assemblies to explain and clarify these. Students are encouraged to report any concerns immediately to an adult.

1. Follow directions of teachers, administrators, campus assistants and all other school personnel.

2. Be on time to all your scheduled classes.

3. Walk to class, no running.

4. Gum is not allowed on campus.

5. “Walk” bicycles, scooters, and skateboards once on campus. This is a state law. Helmets are also required by law. Students who ride their bikes, scooters, or skateboards to school must lock them in the bike cage. The school is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen bicycles, scooters, skateboards, or helmets.

6. Students are to arrive no earlier than twenty minutes before school starts and are to leave campus within twenty minutes after the school day, or an activity such as a dance, club, or sport event ends. Students who are not picked up within ten minutes after a school dance ends will be prohibited from attending the next dance.

7. Students are not permitted to bring visitors to school.

8. Toys, cameras, or any other items that distract from the learning environment are not allowed at school.

9. Please respect the rights and property of other students and staff.

10. Students are to eat in the cafeteria or lunch area and place their trash in the trash cans. Food and drinks are not permitted in classrooms unless authorized by the teacher.

11. Inappropriate displays of affection will not be tolerated.

12. Students are not to share PE lockers or lock combinations with any other student.

13. Cell Phones, iPods, and other electronic devices must be powered off and kept out of sight during school hours.

14. Notebooks, book covers, magazines, drawings, pictures, electronic wallpapers, gym bags, backpacks, clothing, or jewelry that contain inappropriate subject matter will be subject to disciplinary action.

15. The Hesperia Unified School District and Hesperia Junior High are not responsible for stolen or lost items. The individual student is responsible for his/her personal property AND textbooks or other school items checked out to that student.

DRESS CODE

Hesperia Unified School District Dress Code will be strictly enforced. Local law enforcement officials indicate that certain types of dress and colors contribute to gang association and violence. Students wearing gang attire become targets for violence even though they are not gang members. The following is identified as unacceptable dress:

1. Any item that disrupts the instructional process or is deemed inappropriate by Administration.

2. Non-school-issued hats. Solid-color beanies with no logos are acceptable only in cold or inclement weather.

3. Pants or shorts that are larger in size than the physique of the student.

4. Sagging pants or shorts (must fit at waist).

5. Socks pulled up to the bottom of the shorts.

6. Items that promote hate, intolerance, or violence.

7. Unsafe jewelry and accessories, including wallet chains and belts hanging from the waist.

8. Visible undergarments or pajamas.

9. Clothing that is too tight, bare midriffs, tube tops, spaghetti straps, visible bra straps, tank tops designed to be worn as undergarments and any attire that is deemed by Hesperia Junior High Administration to be revealing or sexually provocative.

10. Clothing and accessories with pictures, insignia or brand names for controlled substances, tobacco, alcohol, or sexually inappropriate images.

11. Bandanas.

12. Unsafe footwear including flip flops or slippers (or any resemblance of).

13. Raiders, Kings, Skin, LA, and any additional articles of clothing identified as being gang-related by Hesperia School Police and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

In the case of questionable dress or grooming that is not specifically covered in above list, school administration will make the final decision.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (P.E.) DRESS POLICY

For hygiene and safety reasons, it is mandatory for all PE students to change clothes into appropriate PE attire. The uniform consists of a plain gray t-shirt, blue shorts, socks and tennis shoes. Students may wear blue sweat pants in place of their blue shorts, and a gray sweatshirt over their PE shirt. Students may never wear their school clothes under their PE clothes. PE uniforms may be purchased in the PE Department. Policy for PE loaners and non-suits will be in effect on a quarterly basis.

Policy for loaners is as follows:

1. Wear loaners up to two times without consequence (A student ID will be required to check-out loaners.)

2. The third time a student wears loaners, a referral will be sent to the office to be documented.

3. Every time, after the third loaner, the student will be referred to the office for disciplinary action.

Policy for not dressing (non-suit) properly is as follows:

Any time a student does not dress properly for PE (including shoes), refuses to dress out, or refuses to borrow loaner clothes, the student will receive a referral for defiance and will be sent to the office for disciplinary action.

TARDY/TRUANCY POLICY

Definition of a Tardy: Students must be in the room, in their seats and ready to begin when the bell rings. A student with an excused pass will not be considered tardy. The tardy policy will be operated on a quarter basis. When a student receives their fifth tardy the student will receive a referral to administration. 5th tardy = In-school suspension (PASS); 10th tardy = Saturday School; 11th tardy+ = Administrative discretion; 2 tardies in one day = PASS; 3 tardies in one day = Saturday School; 4+ tardies in one day = Suspension.

HESPERIA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE

HUSD Police work with Hesperia Junior High School officials in order to maintain a safe, secure, and peaceful campus. Students who commit violations, which are serious enough to be considered felonies or misdemeanors, i.e. fighting or possession of illegal substances, will be subject to arrest, citation. and a referral to the Juvenile Probation Office.

CAUSES FOR SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION

California Education Code 48900: (Grades K-12) (a) (1) Caused, attempted to cause, or threatened to cause physical injury to another person (mutual combat); (2) Willfully used force or violence upon the person of another, except in self-defense (battery). (b) Possessed, sold, or otherwise furnished any firearm, knife, explosive, or other dangerous object. (c) Unlawfully possessed, used, sold, or otherwise furnished or been under the influence of any controlled substance. (d) Unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell any controlled substance. (e) Committed or attempted to commit robbery or extortion. (f) Caused or attempted to cause damage to school property or private property. (g) Stolen or attempted to steal school property or private property. (h) Possessed or used tobacco, or any products containing tobacco. (i) Committed an obscene act or engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity. (j) Had unlawful possession of, or unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell any drug paraphernalia. (k) Disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel. (1) Knowingly received stolen school property or private property. (m) Possessed an imitation firearm. (n) Committed or attempted to commit a sexual assault. (o) Harassed, threatened, or intimidated a pupil who is a complaining witness or a witness in a school disciplinary proceeding. (p) Unlawfully offered, arranged to sell, negotiated to sell, or sold the prescription drug Soma. (q) Engaged in, or attempted to engage in, hazing as defined in Section 32050. (r)Engaged in an act of bullying. For purposes of this subdivision, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) “Bullying” means any severe or pervasion physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or by means of an electronic act, and including one or more acts committed by a pupil or group of pupils as defined in Section 48900.2, 48900.3 or 48900.4, directed toward one or more pupils that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following: (A) Placing a reasonable pupil or pupils in fear of harm to that pupil’s or those pupils’ person or property. (B) Causing a reasonable pupil to experience a substantially detrimental effect on his or her physical or mental health. (C) Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with his or her academic performance. (D) Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with his or her ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school. (2) “Electronic act” means the transmission of a communication, including, but not limited to, a message, text, sound, or image, or a post on a social network Internet Web site, by means of an electronic device, including, but not limited to, a telephone, wireless telephone or other wireless communication device, computer, or pager. (3) “Reasonable pupil” means a pupil, including, but not limited to, an exceptional needs pupil, who exercises average care, skill, and judgment in conduct for a person of his or her age, or for a person of his or her age with his or her exceptional needs. (t) A pupil aids or abets as defined in Section 31 of the Penal Code, the infliction of attempted infliction of physical injury to another person.

California Education Code:

48900.2 – Committed sexual harassment.

48900.3 – Caused, attempted to cause, threatened to cause, or participated in, an act of hate/violence

48900.4 – Intentionally engaged in harassment, threats, or intimidation.

48900.7 – Has made terrorist threats against school officials or school property, or both.

48915 Mandatory Recommendation for Expulsion: (A) 1. Causing serious physical injury to another person, except in self-defense. 2. Possession of any knife, or other dangerous object of no reasonable use to the pupil. 3. Unlawful possession of any controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code, except for the first offense for the possession of not more than one avoirdupois ounce of marijuana, other than concentrated cannabis. 4. Robbery or extortion. 5. Assault or battery, as defined in Section 240 and 242 of the Penal Code, upon any school employee. (c) 1. Possessing, selling, or otherwise furnishing a firearm. 2. Brandishing a knife at another person. 3. Unlawfully selling a controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code. 4. Committing or attempting to commit a sexual assault as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900 or committing a sexual battery as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900. 5. Possession of an explosive.

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION/HARASSMENT POLICY

(Title VI of the Civil Right Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973): The District does not discriminate against any person on the bases of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, ethnic group, actual or perceived sexual orientation, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability. The District will take steps to assure that the lack of English will not be a barrier to admission and participation in District programs. Complaints alleging noncompliance with this policy of non-discrimination should be directed to Isaac Newman-Gomez at the District Office. A copy of the District’s Uniform Complaint Policy is available at the District Office. The District’s Title IX Coordinator is Thomas Loomis, contact information is (760)244-4411. The District’s 504 Coordinator is Matthew Fedders, contact information is (760)244-4411.

All pupils at Hesperia Junior High shall have the right to attend school and participate in all school-related activities (whether on or off school grounds) without fear of or subjection to disruption, intimidation, violence or crime. Harassment/bullying can be anything from teasing to racial slurs to physically pushing someone around to try to frighten him/her. We are dedicated to doing all we can to stop this type of behavior. Since this usually happens when adults are not present, it is important for students to inform their teachers or school personnel when this happens. The administration will handle harassment/bullying complaints seriously and with the utmost confidentiality in order to protect students who are being harassed or bullied.