JAMES FENIMORE COOPERMIDDLE SCHOOL

Student Handbook

COOPER MIDDLE SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENTThe Cooper Middle School mission focuses on the nurturing and preparation

of our students, helping them to function as informed, productive, and responsible citizens.

The Cooper Code of Conduct Courteous

• We show empathy and are kind to one another• We use appropriate language• We follow the dress code • We accept others’ uniqueness• We cooperate and have a positive attitude

On Time• For school• For class• For lunch

On Task• We focus• We participate in class activities• We follow procedures

Prepared• We advocate for ourselves • We bring supplies to class• We complete assignments in a timely manner

Excellence• We follow the Cooper Honor Code• We give our best effort• We take responsibility for our actions and

learningRespectful

• To staff• To students• To property

General InformationJames Fenimore Cooper Middle SchoolFairfax County Public Schools977 Balls Hill Road McLean, VA 22101

Main Office 703-442-5800

Attendance 703-442-5858 Guidance Office 703-442-5812 FAX 703-442-5897

http://cooperms.fcps.edu

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFPrincipal - Arlene RandallAssistant Principal– Cherith Pierson–7th GradeAssistant Principal– Michael Rath–8th GradeDirector of Student Services– TBDCounselors -

Ms. DonnellyMs. Saint Germain Mr. StaplerMs. Wiley

Front Office Assistants - Ms. Hodge & Ms. MinerBuilding Supervisor–Mr. DoralCafeteria Manager–Ms. Huang Clinic Aide–Ms. GibsonFinance Officer–Ms. MidgleyStudent Information Assistant–Ms. EismanLibrarian–Ms. Psaltis & Ms. ScottPrincipal’s Administrative Assistant–Ms. AhearnAfter School Specialist–Mr. FrengelTechnology Specialists–

Mr. CunninghamMs. Dorman

HAVE A QUESTION OR PROBLEM? WHOM TO SEE...

Bus problems Ms. Pierson, 7th Grade Mr. Rath, 8th Grade Checkout of schoolFront OfficeDiscuss class problemsTeacher/Student CounselorDiscuss personal problem, schedule concerns, set-up parent/teacher conference Student CounselorJoin a club Club Sponsor or Mr. Frengel Locker problemMr. KlenaPre-arranged absencesMs. Hodge or Ms. Miner, Front Office Assistants and/or Ms. Eisman, Student Information Assistant

GRADING AND REPORT CARDS

Each student will be evaluated in seven subjects each nine-week grading period. The Fairfax County Public Schools’ grading scale is as follows: Symbols Scale Quality Points

A 93-100 4.0 A- 90-92 3.7B+ 87-89 3.3B 83-86 3.0B- 80-82 2.7C+ 77-79 2.3C 73-76 2.0C- 70-72 1.7D+ 67-69 1.3D 64-66 1.0F BELOW 64 0.0

In order to be promoted, a student must pass English, math, science, and social studies. Parents can review their child’s grades by logging into their SIS Parent Account. Directions on how to setup and access the SIS Parent Account can be found on the Cooper website under the Parents. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will send out a weekly academic progress report via email that pro-vides a summary of your student(s) grades for the current quarter.

Check the Cooper Website for a detailed explanation on our grading and reporting policy.

SCHOOL HOURS

The school day begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:15 p.m. NO STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED IN THE BUILDING BEFORE 7:10 A.M. Students should be in their first block at the 7:30 a.m. bell. Students arriving after 7:30 a.m. must sign in at the front office and get a pass.

After school Kiss and Ride students go to the back of the building. Walkers must be off school grounds by 2:35 p.m.

Students leaving school during the school day must bring a note from a parent/guardian to the front office in the morning and obtain a dismissal pass. A parent/guardian will need to come in and pres-ent a photo ID to pick up a student.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

All students are expected to be in school each day. If the student is going to be absent from school, his/her parent or guardian should call 703-442-5858 to record a message on our 24-hour Attendance Line. If a parent or guardian does not call the school, a written excuse is required. The written excuse must be submitted to the main office on the first day of the student’s return to school. All students arriving late and/or leaving early must sign in/out in the main office. If someone else (sister, brother, aunt, neighbor, etc.) picks up a student, they must have a note from the parent/guardian and present a picture ID. For prearranged absences, students must fill out FCPS Fom SE289 before they are going to be absent. This form requires students to talk to all teachers, obtain teacher signatures, as well as administrator approval.

Students are expected to make up work when absent.Excused absences include:Illness of a student, death in the family, doctor/dental appointment, observance of religious holiday, suspension (except for certain substance abuse violations,) approved pre-arranged absence, or other reasons acceptable to the principalUnexcused absences include: All-day truancy, class truancy, family trips, sports tournaments, missing a ride on the bus, alarm not working, heavy traffic, etc.

COOPER TARDY POLICY

A student is on-time if he or she is in the classroom when the bell rings. The policy (which restarts every quarter) for unexcused tardy arrival to class for all other times is as follows:

1st tardy - verbal warning/policy review between teacher and student 2nd tardy - parent contacted by teacher by phone or email 3rd tardy - parent contacted by teacher by phone or email, student detention with teacher4 or more - referral to administration

Note: The administration will manage 1st block of the day tardy situations. Chronic attendance violations that continue after the consequences have been imposed will result in further discipline assignments from an administrator.

BUS REGULATIONS

Bus service is provided for middle school students living more than 1.5 miles from school. Stops and times are designated and adjusted as needed for maximum overall efficiency. To provide the safest possible situation on the bus, it is necessary that all students follow reasonable and sensible safety procedures.

1. Students will have assigned seats.2. Remain seated while the bus is in motion.3. Follow the directions of the driver and safety assistants to improve bus safety at all

times.4. No shouting or screaming, which may distract the driver.5. Keep heads, hands, and limbs inside bus windows.6. Report all safety violations to the driver and/or assistant principal.7. In addition, the following are not permitted at any time on the bus:

• Throwing objects on the bus or out the windows• Possession of water projectiles and weapons• Operation of doors or standing in the door well• Bullying, fighting, rowdiness, harassment, or smoking

In addition, any acts of vandalism, profane language, and/or obscenities will be reported to the office. Parents will be notified when the safety of a bus is being jeopardized by the actions of their children. Bus service may be suspended or denied to students with repeated safety violations.

STAYING AFTER SCHOOL ON LATE BUS DAYS

Late activities are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Late buses are available to take students home and depart Cooper around 4:30 PM. Students must prearrange with their parent and the supervising teacher. Students are required to sign up in advance when staying after school. The sign up sheet is available via Google and can be accessed during all lunches. Students are required to sign up for an A session and a B session if riding the late bus. After school is an extension of the school day. The Cooper Code of Conduct and the FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) apply to all after school activities.

CAFETERIA PROCEDURES

The Cooper Code of Conduct also applies to the cafeteria. Students will be assigned a table; all students at the table will be responsible for keeping the table and surrounding area clean.

To obtain a restroom pass, students will need to sign out of the cafeteria. Passes for library and academic purposes must be obtained in advance from the faculty member.

Drinks other than water must be consumed in the cafeteria. Students with early or late lunch may have a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack when approved by a teacher or administrator.

ELECTRONIC DEVICESCELL PHONESAccording to school regulations, students may possess electronic devices on school property. During school hours or during after-school activities, cell phones cannot be used to make or receive calls or texts without permission from a staff member. The cell phone must be out of sight and turned off, unless used for educational purposes with permission from the teacher. The use of social media, taking/posting pictures or video, playing games, and any other technology feature is strictly prohibited. (Students may use cell phones during the time-frame immediately after school before after-school activities.) Consequences for inappropriate use of cell phones:

• Phones will be taken from students who are using them without permission for non-educational purposes.

• For the first and second infraction, cell phones will be returned to the student at the end of the day. For the third infraction, parents will need to pick up the cell phone from the front office. (Phones will not be given to anyone other than parents. If parents cannot pick up phone, the phone will be put in the safe until a parent can pick up the phone.)

OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICESThe Cooper Code of Conduct and the SR&R apply to electronic device usage. Electronic devices should not be used unless permitted by the teacher or administration. Students must always abide by the Appropriate Use Guidelines for FCPS information technology. Disciplinary sanctions will be imposed for violation of these rules.

Remember that your network password should be unique and easy to remember. You should not use your name or your student ID as your password, and you should not share your password.

LOCKER PROCEDURES

Locker assignments and combinations will be listed on student schedules.

Do’s:• Use only your assigned locker. (*Consequences will be given for sharing lockers.)• Leave your personal items such as backpacks, coats, hats, and non-instructional

items in your locker during school. • Ask a staff member for help with your locker if needed.• Organize your locker to best fit your needs. Keep it neat!

Don’ts:• Give your combination to anyone else or leave your locker on “quick set.”• Leave items on top of your locker.• Install equipment or decorations on your locker that you cannot easily remove in

June.• Kick or force a jammed locker.

DRESS CODE PROCEDURES

Students are asked to abide by the FCPS SR&R policy for dress code. Parents and students should review this information and direct any questions to their school counselor or grade level administrator.

FCPS SR&R Dress Code PolicyAll students are expected to dress appropriately for a K-12 educational environment. Any clothing that interferes with or disrupts the educational environment is unacceptable. Clothing with language or images that are vulgar, discriminatory, or obscene; or clothing that promotes illegal or violent conduct, such as gang symbols, the unlawful use of weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or drug paraphernalia; or clothing that contains threats is prohibited. (See chapter II.A.2.b.(7) for additional information regarding gang-related clothing.) Clothing should fit, be neat and clean, and conform to standards of safety, good taste, and decency. Clothing that exposes private areas or an excessive amount of bare skin is prohibited. Examples of prohibited clothing include, but are not limited to: sagging or low-cut pants, tube or halter tops, studded or chain belts, clothing constructed of see-through materials, and head coverings unless required for religious or medical purposes. A principal may provide additional examples to his or her school community. Discussion about dress code violations shall be held privately and maintain the dignity of the student. Parents of students requiring accommodation for religious beliefs, disabilities, or other good causes should contact the principal. Students not complying with this code will be asked to cover the noncomplying clothing, change clothes, or go home. Repeated infractions will result in disciplinary action. The current version of Regulation 2613 provides additional details.

Procedure for Students Dressed InappropriatelyStudents who are not dressed appropriately according to the FCPS SR&R policy for dress code will be asked to cover the clothing, change clothes, or go home. Borrowed clothing must be washed and returned to the main office the next day. Repeated infractions will result in disciplinary action, and parents will be contacted. Students are kindly asked to abide by these procedures.

DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES AND CONSEQUENCES

Teachers and administrators will approach discipline as a part of helping students make better choices. Interventions will be progressive. If a student fails to correct his or her be-havior, more formal steps will be taken in accordance with FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities.

QUIET STRUCTURED TIME

WHAT IS IT? Quiet Structured Time (QST) is a block built into our school day to assist students with their organization, study skills, and academic assignments in all subject areas. Teachers are able to utilize this time to further support students needs; students are able to utilize this time to complete homework and/or seek assistance from other teachers.

QST does not take the place of after-school support and intervention. After-school support serves as an additional resource for students to assist themselves in making sure they have their assignments and are prepared for the following school day.

COOPER MIDDLE SCHOOL HONOR CODE

Caring, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect form the basis for good moral character. At Cooper, we are committed to a school that promotes and embraces these qualities. We provide a school environment that enhances character-building experiences, so the students can gain a full understanding of the Honor Code. Students are encouraged to demonstrate the personal qualities associated with character building and good citizenship while doing their best and behaving in an honorable manner. We believe the effort each student makes in meeting academic challenges is more important than achieving high academic marks.

The Honor Code at Cooper addresses cheating, plagiarizing, lying, and stealing.

Cheating is…• copying someone else’s work.• allowing someone else to copy your work.• using notes, aids, or written materials in any form during a test.• talking, copying from someone else’s paper, giving or receiving information by signs,

gestures, or deception during a testing period.• sharing information from a previously taken test.• accessing unauthorized digital information for assessments and assignments.

Plagiarizing is…• presenting someone else’s work as your own without proper citations or

acknowledgement.• copying word for word, without using quotation marks or giving credit to the source of

the material.• failing to use proper documentation and bibliography.• having your parent or friend do an assignment which is then submitted as one’s own

work.

Lying is…• making an untrue statement with intent to deceive.• creating false or misleading impressions.

Stealing is…• taking or appropriating without the right or permission to do so and with the intent to

keep or make use of wrongfully.

Course of ActionBelow is Cooper’s course of action if an Honor Code violation should occur. Administration has the right to decide which of the following actions will be taken.

1. A meeting will be held with an administrator, teacher, counselor and student. At this meeting, the incident will be presented by the teacher who reported the violation. The student will have an opportunity to respond and explain. The parent will be notified of the violation by the teacher when the referral is made to the administrator and the administrator will follow up with the parent after the honor code violation meeting. The record of this meeting will be sealed and destroyed at the end of 8th grade if no further infractions occur. Student will be issued an administrative consequence.

2. A parent conference will be conducted with the counselor, administrator, and teacher. Student will be issued an administrative consequence, and a letter will be placed in the student’s file that will be forwarded to the high school.

3. The administrator will enforce appropriate disciplinary actions in accordance with the Fairfax County Public School’s Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook guidelines.

Cooper Middle School Calendar2018-2019

August 28 School Begins

September 3 Labor Day - Student Holiday

September 6 7th Grade Back to School Night

September 12 8th Grade Back to School Night

September 19 Students Released Three Hours Early

October 8 Columbus Day - Student Holiday

November 2 First Grading Period Ends

November 5-6 Student Holidays

November 21-23 Thanksgiving Break

December 14 Students Released Three Hours Early

December 24- January 4 Winter Break

January 18 Students Released Three Hours Early

January 21 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday - Student Holiday

January 24 Second Grading Period Ends

January 25 Student Holiday

February 4 Student Holiday

February 18 George Washington’s Birthday - Presi-dents’ Day - Student Holiday

March 11 Students Released Three Hours Early

March 26-30 Spring Break

April 4 Third Grading Period Ends

April 5 Student Holiday

April 15-19 Spring Break

May 28 Memorial Day - Student Holiday

June 13 Last Day of School/ Students Released Three Hours Early

Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 72 1 1 1 1 1 1

3 3 2 2 2 2 2

QST QST QST QST QST QST QST

4 4 4 3 3 3 3

5 5 5 5 4 4 4

7 7 7 7 7 7 6

7th Grade Lunch C & D

10:58 ‐ 11:50

1:22 ‐ 2:15

7:30 ‐ 8:25

8:29 ‐ 9:24

9:28 ‐ 9:58

Lunch C11:52 ‐ 12:22

Class12:26 ‐ 1:18 6 5 5

10:02 ‐ 10:54

Class11:54 ‐ 12:46

Lunch D12:48 ‐ 1:18

6 6 6 6

Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 72 1 1 1 1 1 1

3 3 2 2 2 2 2

QST QST QST QST QST QST QST

5 5 5 5 4 4 4

6 6 6 6 6 5 5

7 7 7 7 7 7 6

8th Grade Lunch A & B

1:22 ‐ 2:15

7:30 ‐ 8:25

8:29 ‐ 9:24

9:28 ‐ 9:58

Lunch A10:00 ‐ 10:30

Class10:34 ‐ 11:26 3 3 3

11:30 ‐ 12:22

12:26 ‐ 1:18

Class10:02 ‐ 10:54

Lunch B10:56 ‐ 11:26

4 4 4 3

Executive Function Skills Quick Reference Sheet

Attention and Focus: Ability to filter out distractions and sustain concentration in order to think, listen, or watch with interest

Cognitive Flexibility/Shift: Ability to take perspectives, make connections, think flexibly and move freely from one situation to another Goal-Directed Persistence: Ability to initiate tasks, plan and organize time and materials, solve problems, sustain effort, and follow through

Metacognition: Ability to analyze, understand, and monitor one’s learning and thinking Self-Control: Ability to inhibit and regulate emotional and behavioral responses and read and respond appropriately to social situations Working Memory: Ability to mentally store, retrieve, and use information for a task

Cooper Time’s “Go To” Study GuideSilly Sentences/Acrostics!

-Use the first letter (or a word that sounds similar) to make a silly or ridiculous sentence.

“My very elegant mother juggled seven ugly necklaces” = mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, and neptune.

OR: If you need to remember the five main causes of the Great Depression, take five key words, and then use the first letter of each of these words to make up a silly sentence.

Acronyms/Mnemonic Devices: • Use acronyms to help you memorize

information.

• For example:

PEMDAS can help you remember the order of operations (parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division, and addition and subtraction).

Flashcards• Write the term on one side and the definition on the

other. Quiz yourself (repeatedly) until you know it! Take out some flashcards and then add them back in. This is an easy way to study!

-Memorize facts, words, lists, key terms, etc.

• For kinesthetic learners: throw all of your flashcards into the air and let them fall to the ground. As you pick them up, quiz yourself. If a term is listed, give the definition and if a definition is given, say the term.

-This is a fun and messy way to study!!

Write it, Say it, Review it

• Review information by writing it down, saying it out loud, and repeating and reviewing

See it in Your Mind:

1. Write down what you want to memorize and stare at it for 30 seconds. 2. Close your eyes and try to see it in your mind. 3. Say it, and then look at it again.4. Do this until you know it.

Before you Sleep:

Right before you go to sleep, go over any information that you want to remember.

Your brain will commit it to memory while you sleep

However, don’t just do this the night before your quiz/test. This strategy only works after you’ve put in the effort to study!

Visualization Draw a picture or visualize something that helps

you remember.

Study on the go! - Bring your study materials with you to practice, to/from school, or any time you are going somewhere.

-You can use the time spent sitting to practice and study

Helpful Hints: -Remember: go in for lunch, QST, or after school to ask your teachers questions-Go to any after school review sessions available too ☺

Happy Successful Studying!

Importance of SLEEP

The average amount of sleep that teens get is between 7 hours. Ideally, teens should sleep about 9 hours a night.

Prepare the Night Before Lay out your clothes Put your alarm clock/phone across

the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off

Have your backpack/lunch ready to go.

Start Slow Do you have trouble waking up? Figure out your ideal wake-up

time (what time should you get up so that you will have enough time to get ready for the day).

Work at that goal (Example- each week wake up 15 minutes earlier until goal is reached).

Think Positively “It’s going to be a good day.” “Let me look at my day and my

schedule so that I have a plan on how to manage my day.”

“I have a big presentation today, but I am prepared and ready to go.”

“I’m looking forward to ______.”

Try not to hit the Snooze button Hitting the snooze button in the morning doesn’t even make sense. It’s like saying, “I hate getting up in the morning so I do it over and over and over again.” — Dimitri Martin, Comedian

Don’t Start Your Morning with Junk Eat a healthy breakfast (if you

have trouble making time for breakfast, plan out what you can eat the night before).

When you first wake up, are you checking your email and social media? Don’t do this!

In the afternoon/before bedtime Go for a walk/work out/yoga Journal and/or plan out your day Read Spend time with your family Write a thank you note to

someone Pet your dog or cat Say positive affirmations out loud