RAMBAM STUDENT HANDBOOK 2013/2014 5774 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Every student at must complete and pass all of the following courses in order to receive a Rambam Kodesh Diploma, Rambam Secular Diploma and a State Regents Diploma

9th Grade: Minyan, Iyun, Halacha, Bais Medrash, Mishna (B ), Mishmar, Tanach, Hebrew, Math I or II, Global Studies, English, Biology, Minors: Physical Education and Study Skills

10th Grade: Minyan, Gemara Iyun, Halacha, Gemara Bekiyus or Mishna, Mishmar, Tanach, Hebrew or Spanish, Math II or III, Global Studies or Honors Global Studies or AP European History, English, Earth Science or Chemistry Minors: Physical Education

11th Grade: Minyan, Gemara Iyun, Halacha, Gemara Bekiyus or Mishna, Mishmar, 5th Period Elective (6 choices) and 6th Period Elective (6 choices), one of which must be a Kodesh course. Math III, Business Math, Accounting, AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC. AP American History, Honors American History or Regents American History. AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Forensics, EMT or Halacha and Physiology. English or Honors English. Minors: Physical Education

12th Grade: Minyan, Gemara Iyun, Halacha, Gemara Bekiyus or Mishna, Moadim (B shiur), Mishmar, 5th Period Elective (6 choices) and 6th Period Elective (6 choices), one of which must be a Kodesh course. Business Math, Accounting, AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC. AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Psychology, Forensics, EMT or Halacha and Physiology. English or Honors English and Economics. Minors: Physical Education, Music, Art, Health Education and Zionism.

If your son is in an AP class but doesn’t take the AP exam, his transcript will not reflect AP but rather Honors.

In total we require all students to take and pass 9 Regents Exams: Math I, Math II and Math III 3 Math Regents Biology and Chemistry or Earth Science 2 Science Regents Global Studies and American History 2 Social Studies Regents Hebrew (BJE Version, accepted by NY State) 1 Foreign Language Regents English (Language Arts) 1 English Regents ------Total 9 Regents

Regents with Advanced Designation Honors is an average of 90% on all 9 regents.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian Criteria In order to qualify for valedictorian or salutatorian a student: ▪ must be a Rambam student for a minimum of 3 years ▪ must take a minimum of 3 AP’s, one of which has to be a math or science ▪ must have been in honors section for both Limudei Kodesh and Secular for 3 years ACADEMIC STANDING AT RAMBAM MESIVTA

We believe that a student at Rambam Mesivta should enjoy his years at the Mesivta. He should immerse himself in our culture of Limud Torah, learning and studying about the world that the Almighty created and the one in which we inhabit. Additionally, we hope he participates in the myriad extra-curricular activities that we offer and, of course, form friendships with the other students. At the same time a student should keep an eye on his post-Rambam goals as well. Yeshivot in Israel are interested in a Talmid’s Kodesh and Secular grades, Tefillah grades as well as the student’s attendance and behavior record. Colleges are interested in all four years of Secular and Kodesh grades, as well as SAT and/or ACT scores, and your involvement in extra-curricular activities. What this all means is that all four years at Rambam are important, and sadly, there are no do-overs, so each Shiur and each class counts!

On the previous page we presented the Rambam Mesivta Graduation requirements. Please go through them carefully and use them as a guide throughout your four years at Rambam. Missing any one of the requirements will hold a student back from receiving a Diploma and hence graduating.

In Limudei Kodesh a student can stand out by qualifying to be part of our Masmidim Program, in essence a Limudei Kodesh Honor Society. Yeshivot in Israel as well as University and Landers College will be aware of this status and will be looking for young men who are members of the Rambam Mesivta Masmidim Program.

Masmidim Program In order to be a member of this prestigious program, Talmidim will be required to attend one Night Learning and one Lunch Learning per week, maintain a 92 average in Kodesh including davening, act in a way befitting a ben Torah and have an excellent attendance and discipline record. By doing so, they will be given certain incentives, including trips, apparel and final exam exemptions. In order to have the Masmidim designation appear on the transcript a student must maintain Masmidim status for at least 1 academic year. The greatest level of achievement will be to maintain the Masmidim status for all four years.

Honor Roll, Principal’s List and Dean’s List At the end of each semester (fall and spring) a student can qualify for a special designation. There are three categories:

Honor Roll – Maintaining an 85 average in Limudei Kodesh and an 85 average in Secular subjects.

Principal’s List – Maintaining a 90 average in Limudei Kodesh and a 90 average in Secular subjects.

Dean’s List – Maintaining a 95 average in Limudei Kodesh and a 95 average in Secular subjects.

These averages are not combinations of the Kodesh and Secular averages; the student must achieve an 85, 90 or 95 in both Kodesh and Secular subjects in order to qualify for these designations! If a student qualifies for one of these three designations then he will be mailed a certificate with his report card, and the designation will appear on the transcript.

Arista National Honor Society There is a Secular and Kodesh National Honor Society which is called Arista. At our Graduation we formally induct the top students at Rambam Mesivta. Yeshivot in Israel and Colleges are all impressed by a student who is a member of Arista. Arista National Honor Society, Rambam Mesivta Chapter requirements: Maintain a 92 Average in both Kodesh and Secular subjects throughout your years at Rambam Mesivta. The student must also act in a way befitting a ben Torah, and must have an excellent attendance and discipline record. This designation is only awarded at Rambam in the senior year. This designation appears on the transcript.

Honors and AP Courses There are three different types of Shiurim and courses offered at Rambam Mesivta. a) Regular high school level Shiurim and Courses b) Honors level Shiurim and Honors and College level Courses c) AP Courses – Advanced Placement College Courses

The student’s transcript will show which courses are Honors, College level, and AP. By definition the Honors Shiurim and courses are more demanding than the regular Shiurim and courses, and the AP courses are more demanding than the Honors courses. Hence, a student has to have certain grades in order to qualify for an Honors Shiur, or course, and certainly to be in an AP course. These different qualifications will be spelled out when the students receive their course selection sheets in late February.*

By definition Honors Shiurim, Courses and AP Courses require a great deal of dedication, time and effort, but the rewards are also great. This is especially for the student who aspires to enter a top Israeli Yeshiva and a top University and/or is looking to win a merit-based scholarship. Obviously, Yeshivot in Israel and Honors Colleges are impressed by students who have taken many Honors and AP courses.

*In late February we give out the course selection sheets to the students. These sheets contain course descriptions, what the qualifications to be in these courses are, and what courses they are up against. The students will have close to three weeks to review the course choices before they make their selections. Students will have time to speak to their parents, Principals, Rebbeim and Teachers, and our College Guidance Counselor, Mr. Schildkraut before making their final selection. Based on these course selection sheets we create the following year’s schedule as well as each student’s individualized schedule. Hence, a great deal of thought should be given to these course selections.

PPSAT, PSAT, SAT and ACT Standardized Tests In addition to a student’s course load and his Grade Point Average (GPA), Yeshivot in Israel and colleges are interested in seeing how our students score on standardized tests taken by millions of college bound high school students. The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) exam focuses on Math, Reading and Writing skills. The ACT (American College Testing) focuses on subjects: English, Math, Reading and Science. Each test is geared to a different type of student and his test taking skills. But each student at Rambam, by the time he finishes his junior year, should have taken at least one SAT and one ACT exam. The results of these exams play a very important role in determining how Yeshivot in Israel and colleges view them when it’s time for them to apply.

One could argue about the fairness and the merits of both of these exams (SAT and ACT) but we all must understand and accept the significant role they play in a student’s acceptance to Yeshivot in Israel and to colleges. These tests also focus on the skills our students will need once they graduate from Rambam and move on to the next phase of their education.

PPSAT – At Rambam, in mid-October, we administer a practice version of the Practice SAT to our incoming 9th grade class. We contract the Princeton Review to mark the exam results and analyze them. The results help Rambam Mesivta, the students and their parents get a handle on what the student’s strengths and weaknesses are in Math, Reading and Writing. These results are very telling since they are based on the type of exams that the students will be taking to enter college. PSAT – The Practice SAT is given by the College Board twice, once in October of 10th grade, and once in October of 11th grade. The PSAT that is taken in the 10th grade is to give the students and Rambam a sense of where they stand vis-a-vis the SAT exam they will be taking in the spring semester of 11th grade. The PSAT they take in October of 11th grade serves two purposes: a) It’s a tune-up for the SAT they will take in the spring of that year b) Achieving a very high score (usually over 200 out of 240) will put the student in the National Merit Scholarship Competition. This can open up many college scholarship opportunities

At Rambam we offer a special PSAT class for 11th graders who had very high scores in their 10th grade PSAT Exam. This course is offered in September and October only by invitation. The purpose of this very intense course is to help these students score high enough on the 11th grade version of the PSAT to qualify to be part of the National Merit Scholarship Competition. There is a fee for this class taught by Prof. Sinclair. (Enrollment is limited in this sought after course.)

SAT & ACT – The actual SAT and ACT exams are taken by 11th graders usually between March and June, though some may opt to take it earlier in the year if they feel that they are prepared to do well on the exam. Many 12th graders take them again in the fall to try to raise their scores before they apply to college.

SAT II – There are specialized subject oriented exams given by the College Board. These are called SAT II exams. For example, there is a SAT II in Biology, SAT II in American History, etc. These exams are usually taken by students who are applying to Honors Colleges and who are competing for merit based scholarships. These exams are usually one hour and are given on the same Sundays that the SAT exam is given. We at Rambam highly recommend that any student who is planning to take at AP Exam should also take the SAT II in the same subject; it does not require extra studying and the students tend to do very well.

Rambam offers a special SAT preparatory class for 11th graders that runs from February to May and is taught by Prof. Sinclair. This course is open to everyone, but it is first-come, first-served and the class is capped at 17. Details are mailed out in December. There is a fee for this class.

Yeshiva in Israel Guidance Towards the middle of the 11th grade Rebbeim and Principals begin speaking to the students about the significance of going to Yeshiva in Israel and the major benefits that can be gained. In the spring of the 11th grade there will be a special evening meeting with the parents of 11th grade students to introduce them to the choices involved in sending a young man to study in Israel. Students and their parents are then urged to begin having personalized meetings with Rabbi Haar between the months of March and June. The next year, in the 12th grade, there will be a local Israel night when all the Israeli Yeshivot will be sending representatives to our area to make presentations. This normally occurs some time in October or November. After that evening parents and students are urged to have another round of meetings with Rabbi Haar to begin planning which Yeshivot to apply to and to discuss which Yeshiva is the best fit. By January of the 12th grade all the applications are in and the interviews take place in January and February. By March the students know where they have been accepted and they must then commit to one Yeshiva.

Rabbi Haar will also explain to the parents and students how a student can receive college credit for the year in Israel and how one can go about applying for different scholarships.

College Guidance By definition because the students will be taking PPSAT, PSAT and SAT exams throughout the four years they are here at Rambam the idea that college is the next stop post-Rambam (after spending time in Yeshiva in Israel) is not far from most students’ and parents’ minds. In the fall of the 11th grade our College Guidance Counselor, Mr. Schildkraut, will host an evening assembly for all 11th grade parents. He will describe the College Guidance process which includes: a) Knowing what the choices are b) Knowing what the colleges are looking for academically and extra-curricular wise c) Knowing the SAT and ACT testing schedules and deadlines d) Knowing the college application deadlines e) Describing the application process f) Focusing in on what students need to do to prepare for college g) Discussing how to pay for college h) Discussing how one goes about deferring college when they go for a year of study in Israel

Shortly after this assembly, parents and students are urged to make appointments with Mr. Schildkraut to begin discussing their son’s specific college plans. These meetings go on until the fall of the 12th grade when all 12th graders should be applying to college. With the exception of the few students who apply early decision, October or November (Mr. Schildkraut will explain this process during the fall assembly in the 11th grade), most students will complete their application by the end of December of the 12th grade. By April all students should know where they were accepted, and then they must commit to the school that they plan on attending.

List of Colleges that Rambam Students Attend, and their Acceptance Requirements The next page will contain the list of colleges that make up the menu that the overwhelming majority of our students choose a college from. This list/menu will contain the name of the College, the Grade Point Average (GPA) and SAT and/or ACT scores that they require for admissions. This list is posted near the College Guidance Office and it is handed out at Orientation as well. It is important for students and their parents to keep these scores in mind. Students cannot simply wake up during the 11th grade and try to turn it on. Colleges are looking for four years worth of work! SCHOOL GPA* SATs* ACT* CUNY/Baruch 88 1230 27 CUNY/ 87 1140 25 CUNY/City College 87 1130 25 CUNY/Hunter 88 1190 26 CUNY/ 87 1150 25 CUNY/Baruch Macaulay 92 1400 32 CUNY/Hunter Macaulay 93 1420 32 CUNY/Queens Macaulay 94 1360 31 CUNY/Brooklyn Macaulay 95 1450 33 85 1100 24 Yeshiva University Honors 90 1400 32 New York University 95 1420 32 Lander College 85 1100 24 SUNY/Binghamton 93 1300 29 SUNY/Stony Brook 92 1280 28 SUNY/Albany 92 1200 26 SUNY/Farmingdale 80 1050 23 Rutgers University 87 1220 27 Cornell University 95 1450 33 Columbia University 95 1480 33 University of Maryland 90 1350 30 University of Maryland Honors 92 1400 32 University of Pennsylvania 95 1460 33 New York Institute of Technology 85 1000 21 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 95 1470 34 Cooper Union 92 1400 32 Hofstra University 86 1170 25 Teams Rambam Mesivta offers a very large selection of teams for our students to try out for. We have both sports and academic teams. There are tryouts for all of these teams and the coaches decide who gets on the team. Acceptance to these teams is merit based. When a student makes one of these teams, that student is making a commitment to the team and his teammates. Students on teams can not pick and choose which practices or games they will or will not attend. Coaches will ask a student to leave the team if the student is not living up to his obligation to the team. Hence, students and parents should give some serious thought when it comes to joining a team and certainly when joining multiple teams.

We are aware that students at Rambam have many academic obligations, but this has been the case for all students who have made teams in the Yeshiva High School world for the last 60 years. Hence, students are expected to be able to juggle their team commitments together with their academic commitments. For the overwhelming majority of students this is a remarkable and very rewarding experience that stays with them for a lifetime.

By definition not every one on a team has an equal status on the team as far as playing time goes. There are players who will start on a sports or academic team and there are those who will have very little, if any, playing time. All of this is a function of the team’s dynamics and the team’s opponents. Coaches do their very best to be fair to every player and give them a chance to succeed and improve. Whenever it is feasible our coaches try to give as many players as possible playing time. But ultimately this is a coach’s decision. Part of being on a team is accepting this and understanding your role on the team.

Because of this we ask that parents not attempt to coach their son’s team or to tell the coach how to run the team. Along those lines, students who quit a team or are removed from a team will be barred from trying out for other teams the next sports season. In other words, a student who quits or is removed from a fall team, such as basketball, hockey, etc., will not be allowed to try out for or participate in that year’s spring sports. Also, a student who quits or is removed from a spring team, such as softball, soccer, etc., will not be allowed to try out or participate in the next year’s fall sports. The reason is that they have taken a space that could have been given to another eager player who could have been on the team that season. We very much want our students to understand and respect the value of team work and commitment to a team.

Finally, every student who plays on a Rambam Mesivta team is, by definition, an ambassador for our Mesivta. We consider it a privilege to be on any of our teams and we expect our students to behave like bnei Torah both on and off the court.

Fall Sports Teams: Junior Varsity Basketball, Varsity Basketball, Junior Varsity Hockey, Varsity Hockey, Flag Football. Flag Football is open only to students who are not on a Basketball or Hockey team.

Spring Sports Teams: Junior Varsity Baseball, Varsity Baseball, Soccer (1 team), Tennis (1 team).

Academic Teams All Year: Debate, Mock Trial, College Bowl, Torah Bowl, Math, Chess, Warrior Poets, Robotics. LATENESS/ABSENCE/CUTTING POLICIES

LATENESS TO CLASS AND SCHOOL Attendance sits at the heart of the running of the Mesivta. Students being where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there is what allows us to effectively educate your sons, our Talmidim.

Attendance will be taken in each class and punctuality will be recorded. Unauthorized lateness to class affects one's learning and that of his classmates, it interferes with class continuity and undermines morale. Absences and lateness will not only lead to disciplinary measures but will affect your standing on the school teams; Academic and Sports.

What is considered Late to class? Every student will receive their own personalized schedule for each day of Yeshiva. Each schedule shows where the student is supposed to be starting with Minyan and ending with 12th period. That’s from 7:55AM – 5:50PM (except seniors, some of whom finish earlier).

Students will hear a bell that signals the end of their Breakfast, and throughout the day; 1st – 12th periods as well as the end of Lunch and Mincha. Two minutes later there is a bell signaling the beginning of the next period. With the exception of Gym class, which will take around 3 minutes to get to, all other classes are within 2 minutes walking of the first bell.

A student is considered late when he arrives to class after the second bell. Coming from Gym, students are allowed an additional 3 minutes to change and get to class. TO BE CLEAR: From the time of the first bell signaling the end of Gym, you have an additional 3 minutes for a total of 5 minutes to get to your next class on time, dressed appropriately and with all the materials you need for class.

To avoid unnecessary lateness please follow these suggestions: a) Only carry your Kodesh Sefarim for period 1-4 after breakfast. There will be no reason to run to a locker in between Kodesh Shiurim. b) At the beginning of Lunch Period return your Kodesh Sefarim to your locker and at the end of Lunch Period take out the books or Sefarim you will need for periods 5 & 6. c) After Mincha return your 5th and 6th period books or Sefarim to your locker and take the books you need for the rest of the school day, periods 7 – 12. d) Use Breakfast, Lunch, and Mincha breaks for bathroom visits. e) If you have a medical condition that necessitates frequent bathroom visits, please have your Doctor write a note explaining your condition and either mail it to the office with all your medical papers or hand it in to Shirley at the front office the first day of school. We will then inform all your teachers and you will not be marked late.

What should a student do when he arrives late to class? If the student took all the above mentioned steps and still finds himself arriving late to class, their lateness is categorized as either being an excused late or an Unexcused Late.

Excused Late If a student was talking to another Rebbe/Teacher, meeting with one of the Administrators, working on a school project, with the Nurse, etc., he should request that that Adult hand him a written, signed note excusing him for that specific lateness. The note should be legible and clear, with that day’s date and time, explaining why the student was late. That, by definition, will be an excused late. That note must be brought to the main office to obtain an official late pass. The student should not walk into class without said official pass. Without such a pass the lateness will remain unexcused and when the system catches up with the student it will be hard for him to remember who he was with that day and why he was late. As will be explained in detail shortly, the student does have the opportunity to clear up an Unexcused Late after the system has caught up with him and his name appears on a list, but it’s much easier and cleaner to take care of it in real time.

Excused Absences or Lates

Even if you are being excused by an Administrator/Teacher/Coach for a school-sanctioned event, i.e. working on a rally, participating in an academic/athletic competition, if you have been explicitly told by a specific teacher that you cannot miss class (or part of a class) under any circumstances pending that particular teacher’s approval, you will not be excused if you did not get that teacher’s approval, even if an Administrator/Teacher/Coach gave you clearance. Just submitting a note after the fact will not be acceptable.

Again, the general rule is that you can miss a teacher’s class, which could mean missing a class, a day, or part of class as in a late, if you have been given approval by an Administrator or if it is an “official” event such as missing class due to a College Bowl competition. But if a teacher has made it clear that you cannot miss his/her class without his/her prior consent, you will not be given clearance for this event even if someone other than the teacher gave you approval. After all, that person doesn’t have all the pertinent information, only the teacher does.

Unexcused Late If a student knows he will be late to a Shiur or a class, because he lost track of time, was unorganized, forgot his schedule, etc., he has no one to excuse him! (We give the freshmen a week’s worth of classes as a grace period until they learn their schedule and the layout of the building.) The student should go to Shirley in the main office to obtain an Unexcused Late Pass to gain entrance to their class. The student’s status will be changed from absent (which is what the Rebbe/Teacher has marked them) to Unexcused Late in the system by Shirley.

One Unexcused Absence (cut) leads to a Detention as opposed to needing to accumulate 4 Unexcused Lates to receive a Detention. Hence, it is clearly in the student’s interest to go to Shirley and have their status changed from Unexcused Absence to Unexcused Late.

Informing Students and Parents Of Unexcused Latenesses Parents/guardians will be informed by email*, and students will be informed by the postings in school**, that the student was marked Late to Minyan, Mincha, Shiur or class. The student has 72 hours (from the time of the posting), not including Shabbos and Sundays when there is no school, to prove to Rabbi Fink, the Attendance Coordinator, that the Late was an excused one.

After 72 hours, even if the late was technically legitimate but the student did not bother to prove that it was legitimate, it now remains on the attendance record for that semester as an Unexcused Late.

It is the student's responsibility to contact Rabbi Fink and clear up his Lates or Cuts. Rabbi Fink's office is behind the Faculty Lounge. The Student can clear his Unexcused Late or Unexcused Absence by doing one of the following: a) Bringing a note from a Parent, Faculty member, or administrator that excuses him and place it in Rabbi Fink’s box in the main office. Parents can only excuse a student for coming late to school, leaving school early or being absent for the day. However, a lateness or absence that occurs during the school day can only be excused by an Administrator or a Faculty member. b) Have one of the above mentioned adults call Rabbi Fink at 516-371-5824, ext. 115 leaving him a detailed message excusing you. c) Having one of the above mentioned adults email Rabbi Fink at [email protected] explaining why you should be excused. d) Set up a meeting with Rabbi Fink in his office, behind the Faculty Lounge, to discuss the issues face to face with him. Rabbi Fink is at Rambam on Mondays & Wednesdays from 9:30 – 11:30, Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:00 – 1:30, and on Fridays from 9:00 – 12:00

*Once a week Rabbi Fink will send an email to the parents of students who have received either an Unexcused Late or an Unexcused Absence. The email will ask the parents to sign on to the NetClassroom system and check the specifics of their son’s Unexcused Lates and Absences. We hope this will help remind the students to clear up any legitimate lates or absences in a timely and clear fashion!

**Posting Attendance Reports

Rabbi Fink will be posting computer print outs of students who have been recorded as having been marked Late (unexcused) or Cut (Unexcused Absence). These reports will be posted in the basement near the front staircase and on the second floor near Room 209. It is the student's responsibility to check if his name is on the list and then clear it up by contacting Rabbi Fink (as mentioned above).

Every student at Rambam, regardless of how stellar they believe their attendance record is, must take out 2- 3 minutes twice a week to check and see if his name is on the list.

The fact that a student may have been on a school sanctioned event or trip does not mean that the student is automatically excused from checking to see if he may have been inadvertently marked absent/cutting by one of his teachers.

After the student has checked the postings he has 72 hours, not including Shabbos and Sunday when there is no school to clear up his Unexcused Lateness or absences.

The Consequences of Accumulating Unexcused Lates

The first three Unexcused Lates a semester are “Mulligan’s” for the student. However, once the student accumulates 4 Unexcused Lates:

4th Unexcused Late = Detention When a student reaches a 4th Unexcused Late they will be issued a Detention by Rabbi Fink.

Detention consists of not being allowed to leave school for 4 days (one week) during Lunch. Rather, the student must report within 5 minutes of the bell signaling the beginning of Lunch to Room 201 with their lunch. During these lunch periods the student may not use any electronic devices. There will be no talking. The students can read, study and do school work, and obviously eat their lunch. It is highly recommended that students who do not get hot lunches bring lunch from home when they receive Detention. If they do not, they can arrange to have a fellow student bring them lunch to Room 201, recognizing, that they will only have that period to eat it.

In the event that a student has a conflict that he feels precludes him from detention, he must have permission from Rabbi ZM Friedman, Rabbi Y Eliach, Mr. H Goldman or Rabbi S Fink to be excused from Detention.

If a student misses a Detention at an Administrator’s discretion, or he misses Detention due to an absence he must make up the missed Detention(s) on the next available date(s).

If the student misses the designated Detention without prior clearance from Rabbi Fink or one of the Principals, he will be suspended for one day and will be suspended from all teams that he is on for 1 week, and at least 1 game. This includes playoff games as well all practices for that period.

5th Late = same as 1st late 6th Late = same as 2nd late 7th Late = same as 3rd late

8th Late = same as 4th late: it triggers a Detention

9th Late = same as 1st late 10th Late = same as 2nd late 11th Late = same as 3rd late

12th Late = same as 4th & 8th late: it triggers a detention. Student will also be suspended from all teams, Academic and Sports, for two weeks that must include at least 2 games and all practices during that period.

13th Late = same as 1st late 14th Late = same as 2nd late 15th Late=same as 3rd late

16th Late = 2 Day Suspension. Parents must come in for a meeting with Rabbi Eliach before the student can return to class. The student will also be suspended from all teams, Academic and Sports, for 1 month and all practices during that period. (Even if it is the playoffs!)

17th Late = If, after the 16th Late, the Suspension and the meeting with the parents, the student is still coming in late (unexcused) he will be suspended indefinitely and will be removed from all teams, Academic and Sports. The student may be asked to leave the Mesivta.

At the beginning of the spring semester each student will receive a clean slate on his late record.

Absences: Excused and Unexcused If you know ahead of time that your son will not be coming in to Rambam the next day, (illness, family simcha, or G-d forbid worse, etc.) we expect that you will contact Rabbi Fink as early possible (preferably before 9AM the day of the absence) either the night before or that morning and let him know that your son will not be coming in that day. This way we don’t have to take attendance and then start tracking down where your son is. It saves us a great deal of time, and it’s simply more efficient. Contact: [email protected] and/or 516-371-5824, ext 115. If a student misses a class or classes his absence will fall into one of two categories: Excused and Unexcused.

Excused Absence A student either misses an entire day or several days for reasons his parents have already explained to Rabbi Fink in an email or phone message. Or a student misses a Shiur/Class because he was involved in something that an adult in the building can vouch for, meeting with another Rebbe/Teacher, meeting with an administrator, working on a school project, or being at the Nurse’s office. In each of these cases the student MUST get a note from the aforementioned adult that he should then put in Rabbi Fink’s box, or have them send an email to Rabbi Fink ASAP. (See page 4 for details.)

It is the student's responsibility to contact Rabbi Fink, the Attendance Coordinator, to clear up his Absence!

The student does have the opportunity to clear up an Unexcused Absence after the system has caught up with him and his name appears on a list, but it’s much easier and cleaner to take care of it in real time!

Unexcused Absence – A Cut When a student misses Minyan, A Shiur, Class, Mincha, Mishmar, or a Club Meeting during Club Hours, and does not have any legitimate excuse then he is cutting class. This is something that we consider egregious and hence each cut is treated like 4 Unexcused Lates!

Informing Students and Parents Of Unexcused Absences Parents/guardians will be informed by email*, and students will be informed by the postings in school**, that the student was marked Absent to Minyan, Mincha, Shiur or class. The student then has 72 hours (from the time of the posting) to prove to Rabbi Fink, that the Unexcused Absence/Cut was in fact legitimate and hence Excused.

After 72 hours, even if the Absence was technically legitimate but the student did not bother to prove that it was legitimate, it now remains on the attendance record for that semester as an Unexcused Absence – Cut!

1st - 4th Cuts For each Unexcused Absence/Cut a student will be issued a Detention by Rabbi Fink.

Detention consists of not being allowed to leave school for 4 days (a week) during Lunch. Rather the student must report within 5 minutes of the bell signaling the beginning of Lunch to Room 201 with their lunch. During these lunch periods the student may not use any electronic devices. There will be no talking. The students can read, study and do school work, and obviously eat their lunch. It is highly recommended that students bring lunch from home when they receive Detention.

If the student misses the designated Detention without prior clearance from Rabbi Fink, he will be suspended for one day and will be suspended from all teams that he is on for 1 week, and at least 1 game. This includes playoff games as well all practices for that period.

5th Cut By the 5th Cut, in addition to serving another Detention, if the student is on an Academic or Sports Team he will be suspended from the team(s) for at least 2 weeks, which will include missing at least 2 games. This includes playoff games as well all practices for that period. 6th Cut If the student accumulates his 6th Cut the student will be suspended for two days. If the student is on an Academic or Sports Team he will be suspended from the team(s) for a month, which will include missing at least 4 games. This includes playoff games as well all practices for that period.

7th Cut If the student accumulates his 7th Cut the student will be suspended for three days and his parents must come in for a meeting with Rabbi Eliach. If the student is on an Academic or Sports Team he will be suspended from the team(s) for two months. This includes playoff games as well all practices for that period.

8th Cut If the student accumulates his 8th Cut the student will be will be suspended indefinitely, and will be removed from all teams, Academic and Sports. The student may be asked to leave the Mesivta.

For a student that has cut an entire day the consequences will be the same as if it were a 6th Cut. If a student cuts a second entire day it will be treated as an 8th Cut.

Missing Mishmar, Friday and/or Sunday School Rambam Mesivta prides itself on stressing the importance of Limudei Kodesh classes. The school also recognizes that as Shabbos and the weekend approaches, students may miss Mishmar, Friday or Sunday school due to family obligations, appointments, and even illness-like symptoms brought on by a hard week’s worth of work catching up with them. That being said, hundreds of hours of Torah learning time take place during Mishmar, Friday and Sunday school and, despite legitimate excuses for not being present on those days, the opportunity to make up these missed learning hours are available during the school’s Lunch Learning Program.

To that end, following a student’s first two excused absences from any combination of Mishmar, Friday, or Sunday school, on the third absence, a student must make up the missed time during lunch.

If the third absence is from Mishmar, a student will be required to make up some of the missed learning time by staying in for one lunch period at the next available opportunity and going to the school’s Lunch Learning Program that begins at 12:05 in the Beis Medrash.

If, on the third absence a student misses either Friday or Sunday school, each day being approximately three hours of missed learning time, he will have to attend the school’s Lunch Learning Program for an entire week at the first available opportunity, in an effort to make up for some of the learning time missed.

Every absence following the third absence from Mishmar, Friday, or Sunday school will result in more Lunch Learning requirements according to the above formula.

Following the September – January semester, students will begin the February – June semester with a clean slate and once again may miss two combined Mishmar, Friday and Sunday school days without being required to make up some of the missed time during the Lunch Learning Program.

Make-up Learning is mandatory and attendance will be taken. Failure to make up the Learning will result in multiple Detentions and/or Suspension.

Please understand that this policy is in place to ensure that students are maximizing their learning opportunities and recognizing that missing learning doesn’t mean the learning can’t be made up. We hope that just knowing this information will serve as a deterrent and that, in fact, very few students will find themselves receiving detention or possibly suspension this semester. Our goal is to have all our boys in all their classes on time whenever possible and that they will be excused when they have legitimate excuses. Thereby creating an atmosphere that fosters learning and academic achievement!

Attendance in Classes Meeting Once A Week (Economics, Health Education, Zionism (spring semester), Art, Music) Any senior student who misses more than half of the once a week classes in a semester – for whatever reason except legitimate prolonged illness – will automatically fail for that semester. These courses are graduation requirement classes which meet only once a week, thus good attendance is paramount.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT If a student is absent more than 10% of the school year, which at Rambam is 18 days, then the student is in danger of not getting credit for the entire year of school! This will clearly affect the student’s ability to graduate from Rambam Mesivta. This includes absences that parents have sent in excused letters for. This is based on a New York State residency rule. Hence, we suggest that everyone plan their year accordingly. Perhaps delay leaving early to a vacation and or returning late from a vacation, rethinking taking a special vacation to attend a simcha in Israel, or going to visit Yeshivot in Israel when there is not an official vacation. All of these days add up and could cause a student to pass the 10% threshold!

Coming Late To Yeshiva If your son is coming late on any particular day for a legitimate reason (waking up late is not considered legitimate), it is the parent’s responsibility to either have your son come in with a note from them, or send an email or leave a message for Rabbi Fink. Then your son must sign in with the office before going to Shiur or class if he comes in after lunch.

Missing Shiur and/or coming in late on the day of an afternoon exam or to play in an evening game: Students who miss any part of period 1 will not be permitted to take an exam that afternoon, and if they are on a school team they will not be permitted to play in a game that evening. The exception to this rule is the student bringing in a note from his parents or Doctor explaining the special circumstances surrounding his lateness. The Administration will determine if the excuse is an acceptable one.

Early Dismissal Requests

Except during lunch, students are not allowed to leave the building without the permission of an administrator. You must remain in school until dismissed at the end of the school day. Requests for early dismissal must come from one of your parents and are to be submitted in writing to Shirley. Requests must show time and reason. If you fail to follow these procedures, you will not be allowed to leave early. All non-emergency medical and dental appointments must be scheduled after school hours. Under no circumstances may a student sign himself out!

If you feel ill during the school day and cannot sit in class, you must see the school nurse. If after seeing the nurse she determines that it is best for you to go home early, she or the office will contact your parent for approval and to determine the best way to get you home. Under no circumstances should a student contact his parent for permission to go home early without going to the nurse and the Rambam Front Office first. If a student has a chronic medical condition that may necessitate frequent early dismissals, we should be informed of that in writing at the start of the school year.

IF the student’s early dismissal has been approved by the nurse or the administration, then we expect a parent, legal guardian or relative to pick up the student. Should this not be possible a fax or email must be sent to the office outlining how the student should get home and stating that Rambam is being released from its responsibility. That fax or email will act as our sign out document. Naomi or Shirley will log it in as an official sign out.

What should students do if a Rebbe or Teacher is late to Shiur/Class? If a teacher is late to class all students are required to remain in their assigned room, until they receive instructions from a member of the Administration. Under no circumstances should the students assume that they have a free period and hence have the right to go to the Gym or leave the building.

Building Boundaries You are not permitted in the following areas within the building unless you have specific permission or are under direct teacher or administrative supervision: the computer room; the faculty room; the gym; the science laboratory; the library. In addition, unless you need to go to the nurse, have a Gym period or have permission to use the Gym because a teacher is absent the entire Brandeis building is off limits.

Leaving School Premises The Mesivta grounds may not be left from the time you arrive in the morning until the end of the school day unless you have the permission of an administrator. You may not go out, even if your bus drops you off early, before davening or during breakfast. All students are permitted to leave school grounds during lunch. The boundaries are from Pogo Pizza on Rockaway Turnpike to Crawfords on Central Avenue. Boys are permitted to go up Washington Avenue to Carlos and Gabby’s. When coming to and leaving the building, all students must use the Mesivta's front door with their own key card. (Do not go in or out through the Brandeis School.) When a student or a class has a free period they may leave the school premises and abide by the same boundaries.

Dress Code A person's appearance impacts upon one's self-image and projects Kavod HaTorah. Proper dress and grooming reflects a student's understanding that the Mesivta is a Mokom Torah. We expect you to observe the following guidelines:

Neatness and cleanliness are vital at all times. A student’s appearance should conform to the standards of a ben Torah at all times. That includes what a student wears, as well as his personal grooming habits i.e. proper haircuts, no long hair, no step cuts, no buzz cuts. Students are not allowed to grow beards. They cannot go more than 3 days without shaving. (Sefirah** being the exception.)

Students cannot wear rings or necklaces. Neat slacks must be worn. Jeans and denims of any color may not be worn. Furthermore, no torn pants, wide cargo pants or excessively long pants that appear to be dragging along the floor.

Shirts must have collars and only the top button may be unbuttoned; “T” shirts are not permitted. When wearing a sweatshirt, you must wear a collared shirt (visible) underneath at all times. At no time during the school day should you be wearing the hood of your sweatshirt. No hats are to be worn during the school day (except during Tfilot). Tzizis can be worn in or out.

Sneakers are acceptable footwear. No Crocks, No Flip Flops, No Sandals, No Open Toe Shoes. Students must wear socks with any type of footwear.

In recognition of the special nature of Rosh Chodesh we would prefer that students wear white, buttoned down shirts. If you come to school inappropriately dressed or violate the dress code during the day, you will be sent to the office and you either will have your parents send you the proper attire, or if it’s a haircut issue you could be sent to the local barber, or you will be suspended for the rest of that day.

If a student continues to violate the Mesivta’s dress code he will be suspended for 3 days. . **Sefirah: It is a universally accepted minhag that klal Yisrael does not shave during Sefirah. There is, however, a machlokes as to what procedures one should follow regarding shaving on a Friday, lechvod Shabbos during Sefirah. Rav Ahron Soloveichik, z”tl, and many other poskim held that one should shave on Friday, lechvod Shabbos. Nonetheless, each talmid should follow his family’s individual minhag. Those talmidim who do shave on Friday, should shave completely and not just trim their beard.

Violations or abuse of the dress code will result in Suspensions. All of the items outlined above will be judged at the discretion of the Administration.

Electronic Equipment While we understand that in today’s world many parents want their sons to have their own cell phones and/or blackberries, we have to insist that these phones not be used during most of the school day. As you can well imagine cell phones, IPhones, I-Pods, etc. can become serious distractions not only for your son, but for an entire class. (Laptops will be dealt with in the next section.)

Hence, we have devised the following set of rules that we feel are fair and in harmony with the atmosphere that we intend to create at Rambam. 1) Students can use their electronic devices during the following times only: breakfast, lunch, Mincha break, between classes (as long as they do not come into class late or with these devices visible), or when an administrator grants them a free period. 2) In order to ensure that the students don’t have the “yetzer harah” to use them, the teachers will be requiring all students to turn off and place their electronic devices on the Rebbe’s/Teacher’s desk until the end of the period. 3) Cell Phones/IPhones etc. cannot be used as Siddurim in school. 4) Should a Rebbe/Teacher see an electronic device in his or her class during the period they have the right to confiscate it. The device does not have to be on! 5) The first time a device is confiscated it will be taken away for 24 hours or longer at the discretion of the Administration. The second time it will be taken away for 7 days and the third time for 30 days. After that, the parent will need to come in to get the device back.

Laptops We have found that Laptops have become overall a very big distraction in the overwhelming majority of classes. Hence, students will not be allowed to bring in Laptops/iPads/iPods/hand held computers etc. into any Shiur or class throughout the entire day! *

Students may bring these devices into school and use them during Breakfast, Lunch and after Mincha during that 10 minute Break. Frankly, we expect that parents speak to their sons regarding the appropriate use of these devices during the non class times just mentioned.

Students who are found using their Laptops/iPads/iPods/hand held computers to display or listen to inappropriate content will have their device confiscated for 24 hours or longer at the discretion of the Administration for the first offense. The second time it will be taken away for 7 days and the third time for 30 days. After that, the parent will need to come in to get the device back.

We reserve the right to determine what is considered inappropriate.

*Students who have an IEP than mandates that they can use these devices during class time, are exempt. Student Cars Several of the older students may choose to use their own cars to drive to school. The Mesivta does not authorize the use of such cars, nor can it be responsible for student drivers. Parents must discuss with their son whether to enter the car of a student driver. The school does not permit a student with a junior license to drive to school. No student under seventeen will be permitted to drive to school. It is important to note the following information about students with cars:

Rambam Mesivta will not allow any student to drive their car to a school activity that occurs during school hours. However if the student’s parents wish to take the responsibility to allow their son to drive to an activity that begins during school time but ends after school hours such as a Basketball or Hockey game, then they must fill out an official “Limited Student Driver Form” from the office and authorize that they give their son permission to drive his car to such and such a destination on such and such day.

Should a parent(s) want their son to drive to all activities that begin during school time but end after school hours then they should fill out an official “Unlimited Student Driver Form” from the office.

These permission forms should be sent well in advance of the activity. We will not allow a student to drive to these activities unless we receive the form in a timely manner.

Please note there will be a section on these Driver Related Forms allowing or not allowing the driver to drive other students (as long as those students have signed the appropriate “Passenger Forms” to be discussed below.

We strongly suggest that our student drivers not take other students with them in their cars to the above mentioned activities (those that begin during school hours, but end well after school hours). However, if a parent is comfortable with his/her son going as a passenger with a student driver, one of the following two forms must be submitted to the office: The “Unlimited Student Passenger Form” allows your son to be driven by any student to any school event provided the driver has proper clearance. The “Limited Student Passenger Form” gives permission for a specific, single situation provided the driver has proper clearance. We will not accept forms sent to us unless they are done in a timely manner.

Students who do decide together with their parents to drive to school must realize that all cars are off limits during the school day, including during lunch and any free periods.

Students may not leave the school during the school day to put money in the parking meter or to move their car. No parking on school premises allowed.

Students who choose to come to school by private car, cannot, on occasion, use the regular school transportation if they have not registered for that service.

Violation of these rules may result in loss of driving privileges and/or other disciplinary action, including detention, suspension and possible expulsion!