FAMILY HANDBOOK 2020-2021 “The mission of Paul Public Charter School is to educate our students and to develop in them the capacity to be responsible citizens, independent thinkers, and leaders.” 1 Paul PCS functions more smoothly and effectively for students, families, faculty, and staff when the requirements and expectations of the school are clear. The Family Handbook has been written to provide you with information on the policies, procedures, practices and expectations associated with being a student at Paul PCS. Please review the Handbook in its’ entirety. By being a fully-informed parent, you are better prepared to support your child and to actively participate in the Paul PCS Community. 2 Greetings Paul Students, Families and Friends, I am excited to welcome you to what promises to be a dynamic year of growth and learning for our students. As the CEO of Paul PCS, I am eager to continue the work of growing the legacy of excellence started by our founder, Mrs. Cecile Middleton. This year will be very different from any other school year that most of us have ever experienced in our lifetime. The emergence and continuance of the COVID-19 pandemic has birthed a new approach and model for schooling that is both exciting and unique. To meet the academic and socio-emotional needs of our students, Paul will introduce a Blended Schooling Model which includes options for both in- person and virtual classroom instruction. Paul PCS has made the decision to use a Blended Schooling Model to effectively prioritize the safety and wellness of all scholars and staff, which is our most important objective. Our plans are guided by the most current recommendations of the Center of Disease Control and the DC Department of Health. These guidelines currently mandate no more than 12 people, including students and teachers, in a classroom at a time; this is our primary reason for next year’s Blended Schooling Model. The Paul PCS Staff has spent the spring and the summer of 2020 preparing to receive our students, working to solidify, refine and expand our academic and social-emotional programming and developing an instructional and engagement strategy that will yield positive growth for our students in both in-person and virtual environments. When reading through this manual, you will learn more about elements of our new programming and you will also note that there are considerations, expectations and explanations of policies for our students when they are in-person and when they are with us virtually. Please be sure to read through the manual carefully, attend your assigned parent orientation and send any questions you have to your child’s/children’s respective school leader. As Chief Executive Officer, it is my personal pledge to provide each student with the opportunities he or she needs to move continuously in brilliance that lies within them and to ensure they are prepared for college and beyond. I wish you all a wonderful school year and look forward to working together! In Service, Dr. Tracy L. Wright, CEO, Paul PCS 3 Table of Contents LOGISTICS .............................................................................................................................. 6 WHO SHOULD I TALK TO? ...............................................................................................................6 2020-2021 ACADEMIC CALENDAR ...................................................................................................7 ENROLLMENT AND ADMISSIONS ............................................................................................ 9 DAILY ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS ..................................................................................... 11 UNIFORM POLICY ................................................................................................................ 15 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................................... 19 SAFETY AND SECURITY ......................................................................................................... 19 PARTNERSHIPS AND GIVING ................................................................................................ 20 ACADEMICS ......................................................................................................................... 22 ACADEMIC PROGRAM .................................................................................................................. 22 CREDIT RECOVERY .............................................................................................................................................. 24 COURSE TRAJECTORY ......................................................................................................................................... 27 EXAMINATIONS .................................................................................................................................................. 28 EXTENDED DAY PROGRAMS ................................................................................................. 35 ATHLETICS ................................................................................................................................... 35 FIELD TRIPS .................................................................................................................................. 35 STUDENT CULTURE AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT ............................................................. 37 MIDDLE SCHOOL CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM................................................................... 37 PIHS CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM ..................................................................................... 50 THE PAUL WAY ............................................................................................................................ 54 STUDENT SUPPORT .............................................................................................................. 55 COUNSELING AND SOCIAL WORKER SUPPORT .............................................................................. 55 SPECIAL EDUCATION AT PAUL PCS ................................................................................................ 55 MANIFESTATION DETERMINATION PROCESS FOR STUDENT WITH DISABILITIES ............................. 56 ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS SUPPORT ..................................................................................... 58 STUDENTS WITH 504 PLANS ......................................................................................................... 59 PAUL PCS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ................................................................................. 60 STUDENT RECORDS RELEASE AND ACCESS POLICY ......................................................................... 60 HOMEWORK AND LATE-WORK POLICY ......................................................................................... 66 CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY .......................................................................................................... 68 BULLYING, SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION POLICY ...................................................... 83 4 PARENT INFORMATION AND TRAINING POLICY ............................................................................ 91 STUDENT ON STUDENT SEXUAL HARASSMENT.............................................................................. 92 GANGS AND RELATED ACTIVITY .................................................................................................... 98 ACCEPTABLE USE AND INTERNET SAFETY POLICY FOR THE COMPUTER NETWORK OF PAUL PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL ........................................................................................................................ 99 PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY .................................................................................................. 108 PAUL SCHOOL-PARENT COMPACT .............................................................................................. 111 PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT ....................................................................................................... 115 5 LOGISTICS WHO SHOULD I TALK TO? Paul Public Charter Schools 6th Grade Questions LaShaunda Robinson -Academic Dean [email protected] 7th Grade Questions Brad Irvin -7th Grade Administrator [email protected] 8th Grade Questions Shawanda Bartelle- 8th Grade Administrator [email protected] 9th Grade Questions Tomiko Graves- 9th Grade Administrator [email protected] 10th Grade Questions Chiamaka Kalu- 10th Grade Administrator [email protected] 11th Grade Questions Chiamaka Kalu- 11th Grade Administrator [email protected] 12th Grade Questions Britney Wray- 12th Grade Administrator [email protected] Special Education Melanie Chavez- MS Special Education Coordinator [email protected] Aireen Samson - HS Student Support Coordinator [email protected] English Language Learners Lea Gonzalez - EL Coordinator [email protected] MS & HS Curriculum Whitney Lane - Science Instructional Specialist [email protected] Bruce Herring- Math Instructional Specialist [email protected] Bess Davis- ELA Instructional Specialist [email protected] Dan Kohn - Social Studies Instructional Specialist [email protected] Attendance and Truancy Linda Long - Attendance Counselor [email protected] Lunch and Kids Ride Free Ricardo Marquez - Operations Associate [email protected] General Questions Main Office at 202-291-7499 6 2020-2021