Welcome to Cornerstone Charter Academy Orientation s k

Welcome to Cornerstone Charter Academy Orientation ! s k c u D o G August 3, 2016 5: 30 PM

School Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: • Students start arriving at 7: 15, class starts at 7: 45. A warning bell will ring at 7: 35. • Dismissal is at 2: 45 for upper school (1: 45 Wednesdays) * Students are not permitted in the building prior to 7: 15 am. * All students must be off campus within 30 minutes of dismissal

Administration and Support Staff Principal…Dr. Renee Pancoast Upper School AP…Mrs. Michelle Casey Lower School AP…Mrs. Paula Downey Dean of Discipline…Mr. Don Smith Athletic Director/Attendance Dean…Mr. Kevin Peyton K-8 Guidance…Ms. Michelle Harrison 9 th/10 th grade Guidance…Mrs. Sila Wiles 11 th/12 th grade Guidance…Mrs. Bailey Tindel Exceptional Education…Mrs. Vanessa Padilla ESOL…Mrs. Evelyn Ramos Volunteer/Activities Coordinator…Mrs. Rie Bonanno Records/Admissions…Mrs. Amy Trendafilov Attendance…Mrs. Kim Bogdanyi

Tardies - Upper School Students who arrive to school late must check in at the main office to receive a tardy pass. Any student not in their classroom by the late bell is considered tardy. 5 tardies = 1 absence Consequences: 1 st and 2 nd tardies = warning 3 rd tardy = lunch detention 4 th tardy = Wednesday admin detention 5 th tardy = ISS 6 th tardy = ISS and behavior contract

Early Sign-outs When picking up students prior to dismissal please report to the main office. Adult picking up student must be on their list No students can be signed out the last hour of the school day Student drivers may sign-out with a signed letter from the parent indicating time, date and reason for early release

Absences A student who has had at least five unexcused absences, or absences for which the reasons are unknown, within a calendar month, or 10 unexcused absences, or absences for which the reasons are unknown within a 90 -calendar-day period, may be deemed to be exhibiting a pattern of non-attendance, or truancy. Students must be in attendance for a minimum of half a school day to participate in any school related event.

Excused Absences Print form from CCA website, “CCA Excused Absence Form”, hand written notes not accepted Form should be returned within 48 hours of absence Up to five absences can be excused by parent for 9 -12 and up to 10 absences for K-8 3 or more consecutive absences require a doctor’s note Parents may also fill out a pre-arranged absence form ***Please see handbook for detailed list of excused absences

Traffic Pattern 6 -12 students: drop off is on the south side of the middle and high school buildings on Fairlane Ave. Students may go to a younger student. ***See CCA website for detailed traffic patterns.

Volunteer Procedures All families are required to volunteer 30 hours per year Be sure to complete an updated Additions application each and every school year When you complete hours you will print a volunteer log found on the Cornerstone website The supervisor of the event will sign your form It is the parent’s responsibility to submit the form documenting the hours for EACH student they have at CCA

Clinic/Medicine Procedures CCA does NOT have a clinic for upper school students. Please be sure your child’s medical information is on file. All medicine must be in original packaging, unopened. Students may not carry medicine at school. Notify your child’ teacher of any heath concerns. (allergies, seizures, diabetes, etc. )

Concerns When concerns arise please follow the Cornerstone Grievance Policy. First Contact: Your child’s teacher Second Contact: Guidance Counselor Third Contact: Assistant Principal Fourth Contact: Principal Fifth Contact: Dispute Resolution Team

Progressbook Parent Log In: parentaccess. ocps. net Please check Progressbook often to see your child’s grades. Logons will be distributed during the 1 st month of school

Class Websites All teachers have class websites. You can find the latest information on the websites. Teachers will post homework on a regular basis but this may not be the only form of assigning homework. Please subscribe to each teacher’s website!

Late Work Policy Middle School: Late work will be accepted for up to 3 days after the grade was posted to Progressbook. 50% will be taken off of the grade for ALL late work. Zero credit will be awarded after the three days. High School: The same policy will be in place for up to 2 days after grades are posted. AP Classes: No late work is accepted. *Students with excused absences will be permitted to make up work without a penalty.

Uniforms Pants: Straight cut, full length khaki or dark blue uniform pants from Sunshine Uniforms. NO rolling or altering of pants and/or shorts. Shorts: Khaki or dark blue uniform shorts from Sunshine Uniforms. NO rolling or altering the length of the shorts. Shorts cannot be more than one inch above/below the knee. Shirts: Students must wear polo shirts from Sunshine Uniforms. 9 -12 students may wear blue, navy, green or white CCA shirts. K -8 students may wear blue, green or white CCA shirts. All shirts must properly fit the size of the student as determined by the Cornerstone Charter Academy Staff and Administration on a case by case basis. Outerwear: Must be official Cornerstone Charter Academy apparel. A polo must be worn under all outerwear, with the collar visible. CCA hoodies only are allowed. Under shirts: Plain, white, long sleeved t-shirt may be worn underneath polo shirts. Hooded sweatshirts and other hooded tops are not permitted.

Uniforms Socks: Plain white, khaki, brown, black or navy blue. Socks may have a manufacturer symbol (ex. Nike symbol). The contrasting color must be an approved sock color. Shoes: Closed toe, solid tan, black or brown shoes. White soles are fine. Laces must match shoes or white soles. NO heels and NO visible boots. Shoes may have a manufacturer symbol with a color from the approved list, including white. Backpacks: Clear or mesh backpacks, totes or messenger bags Jewelry: Students may wear one watch/bracelet and one loose chain/necklace and must be worn under the polo shirt. ID’s: IDs must be worn and visible. $10 replacement fee

Uniform Violations Students will be sent home or will wait in the main office until the parent/guardian brings the proper attire Multiple infractions will result in consequences

Cell Phone Policy Cell Phones and other personal electronics must be turned off and out of sight throughout the school day. Any phones seen or heard (including those in your back pockets) will be confiscated and not returned until the parent picks up the item after 3: 00 pm.

Guidance Schedules: Final schedules picked up at Meet the Teacher Schedule changes will NOT be made: Change in teacher, class period Lunch shifts Electives

Guidance Cont. Transcripts: You must fill out a request found online and return to counselor. All requests take a minimum of 48 hours. Parent/Teacher Conferences: Will take place on Mondays and Thursdays and scheduled by the guidance counselor

Records requests & student updates For any records requests, including withdrawals, there is a 48 hour turnaround time. For copies of complete cumulative files, the turnaround time may take up to one week from the date requested. Please keep all contact data for your student up-to-date at all times. If there is a change in address, phone number, custody or emergency contacts, a new Student Information Emergency Form will need to be completed in its entirety, front and back, and returned with supporting documents. This form will be posted on our website within the next few days. Should you require assistance with any of the above-mentioned instances, please contact the Dean of Admissions and Student Records at amyt@cornerstonecharter. com.

Upcoming Events August 25 th – 1 st home football game September 19 th – Upper School Open House September 18 th – Picture day grades 6 -11 September 19 th – 22 nd – Book fair September 29 th – Homecoming Game October 6 th – Middle School Dance October 21 st - Ducktoberfest

Media Center The Cornerstone Charter Academy media center was established to support the curriculum of the school. All students, grades K through twelve, are serviced. The media center exists to implement, enrich and support the educational program of the school. It is the intent of the media center to serve as the hub of intellectual activity at the school. It is therefore the media center’s mission to ensure that all students and staff are effective users of ideas and information.

Cafeteria Breakfast- $2. 00 (7: 15 – 7: 35 daily) May eat in the atrium each morning after picking up breakfast Lunch-$3. 00 (students have approximately 30 minutes for lunch) Students are welcome to bring snacks to eat BETWEEN classes

Project Lead The Way All middle school students take half a year of PLTW. (Design and Modeling or Science & Tech) All 9 th graders will take the introductory Biomed Course, Principles of Biomedical Sciences.

Athletics Varsity & JV teams that middle school students may try out for: Swimming, Cross Country, Volleyball, Tennis, Football, Basketball, Softball, Baseball (8 th grade only), Soccer Middle school only teams: girls and boys basketball Nov-Jan Working on additional middle school only sports Students may also participate in Sports Plus programs (intramurals)

After School Clubs Marching band (band 2 and above) Color guard Theatre Art club Middle School SGA Robotics Service Learning Club NJHS and NHS

Summer Reading & MS Math Don’t forget to complete your summer reading assignments! See the website for grade level assignment details All assignments are due the second week of school.

Questions? ?

Welcome to 6 th Grade! Big transitional year Logistics Responsibilities Academics Social Concerns Q&A

Logistics Schedules: Listed 1 st through 7 th period PLTW/PE are semester courses (1 st & 2 nd 9 weeks, then switch to other class 3 rd & 4 th 9 weeks) There is no recess Classes are 51 minutes (or 42 on Wednesdays) 5 minutes between classes to get to class, go to bathroom, eat a snack, or socialize Bathroom on each floor

Building Layouts M 101 = Middle School Building downstairs Room 101 M 201 = Middle School Building upstairs Room 201 H 101 = High School Building 1 st floor Room 101 H 201 = High School Building 2 nd floor Room 201 H 301 = High School Building 3 rd floor Room 301

Responsibility is big in middle school. Main skills needed: Time management is key. Students are expected to be more independent than ever. Students must learn how to stay organized. Self-regulation is necessary.

7 Teachers! 7 different websites to register for 7 different classroom procedures to learn 7 notebooks and textbooks 7 daily assignments, homework, quizzes, tests, and projects –some falling on the same days 7 exams at the end of 1 st and 2 nd semester

Responsibility Use the planner to write everything down. Keep notebooks and book bags clean and organized. Grades count from day 1. Students wanting to get into/remain in the Pre-AP or honors program must keep the required grades all year, not try to pull them up at the end. No extra credit is given when there are missing assignments. Because classes are short, there is no time for disruptions. Behavior issues will not be tolerated.

Responsibility If a student is absent, they have 7 teachers to contact to get makeup work and it must be completed in a timely fashion. The student should get the makeup work, not the parent. If a student doesn’t turn something in, they have 3 days to get half credit. Please do not ask a teacher to make an exception after that time.

Academics The curriculum focuses on critical thinking instead of memorization learning. Students are expected to be independent readers in the textbook in every subject. The 7 th grade curriculum requires that 6 th grade objectives be mastered. Students should not fall behind, because each lesson builds on the last. Nonfiction reading skills dominate the curriculum.

Reading All 6 th graders are required to take Reading class. It is not Intensive Reading. The Reading class teaches strategies to help students make the transition from fiction stories to complex text. Students will learn how to analyze, use context clues, cite evidence, and other skills needed to be successful in all their classes. Students will no longer have AR tests.

Social Aspects Students can feel anxiety with the new procedures and people. The social aspect can be a huge distraction. Encourage your student to stay focused on the curriculum. If your student has concerns, please have them talk to a teacher or Mrs. Harrison. We can help them out immediately.

Welcome to 6 th Grade! Your student is going to do great! It’s not nearly as overwhelming as it seems right now. Any questions?