vths boys handbook 2013-14

8/22/2019 VTHS Boys Handbook 2013-14

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StanleyM.Lintz

ValleyTorahHighSchool

BoysDivision

2013-2014

StudentHandbook

12517ChandlerBlvdValleyVillage,Ca.91607

[email protected]


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MissionStatement

"OurmissionatValleyTorahHighSchoolistoprovideanexcellentTorahand

collegepreparatoryprogram

thatinspiresourstudentstoleadlivesdedicated

toTorahvalues,aswellasthepursuitof

highereducationandpersonalgrowth,resultinginasuccessfulinterface

withaneverchangingworld."


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PurposeofThisHandbook

Acongruentpartnershipbetweenparentsandthe

schoolisintegralforsuccessfuleducation.

Thishandbookisdesignedtoprovideparentsand

studentsinformationregardingtheschools

policies,rulesandprocedures.Allshareholders

mustembracethesestandardsinordertocreate

anorderlyandproductivelearningenvironment.Ourgoalistomaximizeeachstudentseducation

inarichandexcitingatmosphere.


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TableofContents

MISSIONSTATEMENT..........................................................................................................................2

ACADEMICS.........................................................................................................................................5

SCHEDULING.............................................................................................................................................5

GeneralStudies...................................................................................................................................5

ATHLETICS:.................................................................................................................................................9 Yeshivas............................................................................................................................................10

ATTENDANCE.....................................................................................................................................11

SCHOOLHOURS.........................................................................................................................................11

ABSENCESANDTARDIES..............................................................................................................................11

PARENTS..................................................................................................................................................12

AbsencesandTardies.......................................................................................................................12

Earlyreleases ...................................................................................................................................12

STUDENTS:...............................................................................................................................................13

Absences...........................................................................................................................................13

Tardytoschool/class .......................................................................................................................13

EarlyRelease....................................................................................................................................13 Failureduetoabsence(FA) .............................................................................................................13

CITIZENSHIP.......................................................................................................................................14

DressCode........................................................................................................................................14

Shirts:................................................................................................................................................14

Pants:................................................................................................................................................15

Tzizis:................................................................................................................................................15

Hair:..................................................................................................................................................15

Miscellaneous: ..................................................................................................................................15

Cleanliness........................................................................................................................................16

InappropriateLanguage ..................................................................................................................16

Disruptivebehavior..........................................................................................................................16

CheatingandPlagiarism ..................................................................................................................16

GENERALPOLICIES.............................................................................................................................17

Offcampus........................................................................................................................................17

Driving..............................................................................................................................................17

ROLLERBLADES&SKATEBOARDS.................................................................................................................17

BIKES.......................................................................................................................................................17

CELLPHONESANDELECTRONICEQUIPMENT..................................................................................................17

TEXTBOOKS............................................................................................................................................. 18

SCHOOLOFFICE.......................................................................................................................................18

ANNOUNCEMENTS...................................................................................................................................18

EXTRACURRICULARACTIVITIES................................................................................................................18

EXTRACURRICULARFEES..........................................................................................................................18

SCHOOLTRIPS.........................................................................................................................................18

COMPUTERLAB.......................................................................................................................................19

INFRACTIONSANDTHEIRCONSEQUENCES.................................................................................................20

TEFFILAHPROGRAM................................................................................................................................21


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Academics

SchedulingVTHS offers a comprehensive program appropriate for each and every student. Ourprofessionalstaffguidesstudentstochoosethecoursesmostsuitabletothem.Astudent

who desires to make a change in his program may only do so with the teachers

recommendationand thewrittenconsent of the principal.A conferencewith the parent

may alsoberequested. Course changes,generallywillnot bemadeafter the firstthree

weeksofacourse.Whenascheduleischangedthestudentisresponsibleformissedcourse

work.

VTHSgraduationrequirements

1. Allcoursesrequiredforgraduationmustbepassedwithagradeof"D"orbetter.2. Studentswhoreceivean"F"inanyrequiredsubjectmustrepeatthesubjectormakeupthe

equivalentunitsinanapprovedcourse.

3. CommunityServiceAllstudentsarerequiredtoparticipateincommunityserviceoutsideofschoolhours.

Torahstudies

COURSES GRADUATIONREQUIREMENTS

Talmud 4years

Chumash 4yearsDinim 2years

Elective 1Year

GeneralStudies

COURSES GRADUATIONREQUIREMENTSEnglish 4years

Mathematics 3years(Inc.Alg1,Alg2&Geometry)

HebrewLanguage 2years

Science 3years(Biology,Chemistry/Env.Science)

SocialStudies 4years(IncludingUS&WorldHistory,Government&Economics)

PhysicalEducation 2years

Electives 2years

CommunityService 5hours/Semester

Advancedplacement/Honorscourses:


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TheUniversityofCaliforniacharacterizesAdvancedPlacement/Honorscoursesinthefollowingmanner:

(1) VTHS Credits:Theseclassesare offered onthe 9th and 10th grade levels.While U.C.doesnot assign specificweight inthe calculationoftheGPA for thesecourses, theVTHS GPA reflects the weighting of these courses as honors, and many privateuniversitiesalsorecognizethesecoursesashonors.

(2) BonaFideHonorsCourses:Theseclassesareofferedonthe11thand12thgradelevels.TheyarerecognizedbyU.C.as"bonafide"honorsclasses.SpecialweightisassignedinthecalculationoftheGPA(A=5points;B=4points;C=3points).

(3) AdvancedPlacementCourses:Theseclassesmaybeofferedonthe10th,11th,12thgradelevels.Theyarecollege-levelcourseswhosecontentisdeterminedbytheCollegeBoardandrecognizedbyU.C.andotheruniversitiesascollege-level.SpecialweightisassignedinthecalculationoftheGPA(A=5points;B=4points;C=3points).Studentscanonlytakeupto3APcourseperyear.

ThefollowingarerequirementsforAPplacement:

1. MaintainingacumulativeGPAof3.00inallsubjects2. Cumulativeof3.00+inthesubjectarea3. Fulfillingpre-requisitework4. Strongcommitmenttorequiredworkloadforthecourse

PleaseNote:

Differentcollege/universitysystemsvaryintheirmethodofcomputingGPA'sfor

entrance.Transcriptreviewersateachcollege/universityre-evaluateallGPA'sduringthe

admissionsprocess.

AcademicHonors:

ThefollowingstudentsareeligiblefortheVTHSHonorRoll:

Ninth and tenth grade students who have achieved the cumulative grade-pointaverageof3.5,withnogradeslowerthanCatthesemesterreportingperiod.

Eleventhandtwelfthgradestudentswhohaveachievedacumulativegrade-pointaverageof3.75,withnogradeslowerthanCatthesemesterreportingperiod.

C.S.F.: (California Scholarship Federation) is a statewide honor society thatrecognizes academic excellence and good citizenship attributes. A student mayapply for membership after the second semesterof the tenthgrade. Eligibility isbasedongradesearnedfromcollegepreparatorycourses.GradesearnedinclassesthatarenotlistedontheC.S.F.listofacceptedcoursesdonotqualifyforeligibility.Studentsmustearnpointsfromalistofchallenginggeneralandreligioussubjects.StudentmembersofC.S.F.mustcomportthemselvesatahighlevelatalltimes.

CSFwillincludeallTorahStudiescoursegrades.


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Valedictorian/SalutatorianAwards:

VTHShasadoptedthefollowingguidelinesinchoosingacandidatefortheValedictorianandSalutatorianawards.Fulfillmentoftheseguidelineswillplayamajorroletowardsthefinaldecision:1. CandidatemusthavebeenastudentatVTHSforfourfullyears.2. Candidatemusthaveattendedandreceivedastandardpassinggrade for all regular,

scheduledclasses.3. Candidatemust adhere to the high standard of religious observance expected of an

exemplaryVTHSstudent.4. Candidate must have attended Sunday and mishmar classes and electives without

anyattendanceissues.5. Acandidatemaynothavebeensuspendedmorethanonce.6. AcandidatemusthaveoneofthehighestGPAaveragesinhisclass.

SUMMERSCHOOL

Theadministrationwillhelpdeterminewhichsummerschoolismostsuitablewhennecessary.Thecoursemustbepre-approvedbytheprincipal.

Studentsmayattendsummerschoolforthefollowingreasons:

1. Tomake-upfailedsubjects(Incaseofarepeatedclass,theoriginalgraderemainsonthe

transcript,andthesummerschoolgradewillnotbeontheVTHStranscript);2. To take electives not offered at VTHS (some fine arts, computer programming, word

processing,etc.);3. Tostrengthenacademicskills;4. Toadvanceinmathematicsorscienceforthenextacademicyear(onlyinveryselectcases,

andonlywhenapprovedbytheGeneralStudiesPrincipalandtheMathematicsDepartmentChairperson).Uponcompletionofthesummercourse,studentsmaybeaskedtotakeandpassaVTHSmathematicsexamtoadvance.

Studentsmaynottakesummerschoolclassesinacorerequiredsubjectinordertoadvance.

Corerequiredsubjectsincludethefollowing:

English9-12 Mathematics9-12(seegraduationrequirementsabove) HebrewLanguage9-10 Science9-12(seegraduationrequirementsabove) Socialstudies9-12(seegraduationrequirementsabove)


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Grades,ReportCardsandTranscripts

JupiterGrades

VTHSusesawebbasedgradingsystemcalledJupiterGrades.JupiterGradesletsstudentsandparentschecktheircurrentgradesandhomeworkonlineanytime.Everyonehastheirownpassword,sogradesarealwaysprivate.Everythingisupdatedlive,sotheinformationyouseeiscurrent.YoucanaccessJupiterGradesfromanycomputerwithinternetaccess:MacorWindows;Firefox,InternetExplorer,Safari,orChrome.Nosoftwareorplug-instoinstall!Noneedtocarryaflashdrive!JupiterGradescanEmailgradereportstostudentsand/orparents.Parentscanalsosetautomaticalertsforwheneverastudentisabsent,missingassignments,orhaslowgrades.However,cautionshouldbeexercisedastoomuchinformationhasbeenfoundtobe

counterproductive.Teachersareabletoposthomework,announcementsandupload

worksheets.Studentsarethenabletoseetheirhomeworkcalendarforalltheirclassesononepage,includinganymissingassignments,andtheycanthendownloadtheirfiles.Inaddition,eachstudenthastheirowndigitalfilelocker,sotheycaneasilyworkontheirfilesfromanycomputeratschoolorhome.

TestSchedule:VTHS teachersendeavor toplan theirchapter and unit tests inamanner that doesnotoverburdenstudents.Teacherswillmakeeveryeffortnottoschedulemorethantwomajortestsinoneday.Quizzes,notrequiringmorethantentofifteenminutes,arenotconsideredtestsandmaybegivenatanytime.

Astudentwhomissesanexaminationduetoanexcusedabsencewillhavetheoptionoftakingtheexaminationuponreturntoschoolunlesspriorarrangementsaremadewiththeinstructor and approved by an administrator. In all cases it remains the studentsresponsibilitytoarrangeforamake-upexamorcompletionofanymissingwork.Theteachermaychoosetogiveadifferentexaminationorassignapaperinplaceoftheexaminationandmayincludeanyorallofthatmaterialonthestudentsfinalexamination.

FinalExaminations:FinalexaminationswillbegivenforbothTorahandGeneralStudiescoursesduringthelast

weeksoftheFallandSpringsemesters.Finalsmaybecumulativeforeachsemesterandmaycountforasmuchas25%oftheclassgrade.Finalexamsaretwohoursindurationtoprovidesufficienttimetoensuretestingforallobjectivesofthecourse. Duringfinals,dresscode, Tefila, and Torah Studies attendance are mandatory. All school regulations andpolicieswillbeenforcedduringfinalsweek.PleasenotethatthisincludesadherencetotheVTHSdresscode.Allstudentsarerequiredtotakeafinalexaminationatitspropertime.Studentswhomissedafinalthefirstsemesterduetoanextenuatingcircumstancemustcompletethefinalexaminationwithintwoweeksoftheendofthesemester.


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Reportcardandprogressreports

The school year consists of two semesters. Quarterly reports that are issued onJupiterGradesreflectprogressinthesemestertothatpoint.ThesegradesareNOTpartof

thepermanentrecord.SemesterreportsareissuedinJanuaryandJuneandAREpartofthecumulativerecord.Theyreflectcumulativegradesforeachsemester.Pleasenotethatallstandardized testing results will be posted on the students cumulative record aswell.Thesecumulativerecordsarereviewedbycollegesduringtheadmissionsprocess.Lettergrades (A throughDandF)areusedonFinalGradeReports.AgradeofFAindicates a failinggradedue tounexcused absences.Agradeof incomplete (I)maybegivenif thestudenthasnotcompletedthecourserequirements(suchasareport,project,ormajor examination) by the end of themarking period.With prior approval from theteacherandadministrator,thestudentmayhaveuptotwoweekstocompletethemissingwork without penalty. Failure to complete the required work within the agreed upon

periodmayresultinafailinggrade.

Transcripts:Graduation fromVTHS requires thesatisfactorycompletion of theprescribed courses inbothTorahandGeneralStudies.Studenttranscriptsincludecoursegradesforthestudentsentire academic program. Please note that standardized testing scores will also beincluded.Transcripts aresentdirectly toYeshivos,colleges,universities, andbusinessesupon student request. Please allowat leasta 10days lead-time for transcripts and anyothercollege-relatedmaterialsthathavetobepreparedbytheoffice.

CollegeandCareerGuidance:ThecollegeguidancecounselorisanimportantpartoftheeducationalprocessatVTHS.Eachstudentmeetswiththecounselorearlyintheirhighschoolcareertoexplorepossibleoptions for higher education upongraduation.Regular reviews are held throughout theschoolyeartoensurethateachstudentisfulfillingthenecessaryrequirementsneededforentranceintothecollegeoruniversityoftheirchoice.Duringthesenioryear,thecollegecounselorisavailabletoguideeachstudentthroughthecollegeapplicationprocess.Films,literature,andspeakersareusedtoinformstudentsandparentsofthestepsrequiredinadmissions.Individualattentionisgiventohelpingstudentsselectcollegesthatmatchthe

abilities,interests,andtalentsofthestudents.

Athletics:Overtheyears,ValleyTorahhasfieldedhighlycompetitivebasketballandbaseballteamsonboththevarsityandjuniorvarsitylevels.Allstudentswhowishtoplayontheseteams


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musthaveapprovalfromtheadministration,andmaintaina2.0GPA[forstudentswishingtoparticipateinmorethanonesport,aGPAof3.0mustbemaintained.]ReceivingaDorfailinanyclassisgroundsfordismissalfromtheteamforthedurationofthenextgradingperiodregardlessofoverallGPA.VTHSathletesareambassadorsofourschoolandareexpectedtoexhibitgoodsportsmanshipinadditiontohighTorahvaluesand

academicstandards.ItisthenamethatappearsonthefrontoftheValleyTorahjerseythatisimportant,notthenameontheback,pleasecarrythisthoughtwithyouatalltimeswhencompetingwithotherschools.

Yeshivas

VTHSencouragesallstudentstopursueaJewisheducationandspendayearatapost-highschoolYeshiva.VTHSmakesarrangementsforrepresentativesofvariousYeshivastocometothe school andmeet the boys.The staffis involved incounselingthe studentsand inhelpingplacetheminthemostsuitableprogram.


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ATTENDANCE

SchoolHours

Regulardailyattendanceisessentialforacademicperformance.TheValleyTorahBoysSchool isheld six days eachweek,Sundays through Fridays, according to theschedulebelow:Sunday 8:00AM11:15AMMondayWednesday 7:45AM-5:30PM(5:45PMduringwintermonths)Thursday 7:45AM6:15PM(6:30PMduringwintermonths)Friday 7:45AM1:45PMOccasionally,extendeddaysareallowedforspecialprograms,studygroups,o r extracurricularactivities.Pleasenote:Parentsarrangingcar-poolsfortheirsonsPleaseensurethatthe

carpoolgetsyoursontoschoolontime.Allstudentscominglatebecauseof

carpoolwillbeconsideredunexcused.

AbsencesandTardies

TheadministrationandteachersofVTHSconsiderpromptanddailyattendanceanessentialcomponentofasoundeducation.Fullcreditinallclassescanbeawardedonlyifthestudentattendsclassregularly.Parentsshouldinsistonregularschoolattendance.Astudentwhocannotcometoschoolshouldnotifytheschooloffice(818-505-7999)priortothatdayorinthemorningoftheabsence.

Studentswiththreeunexcusedabsencesinonegradingperiodwillreceiveafailinggradeforthatquarter.Studentswithfiveunexcusedabsencesinasemesterwill

receiveafailgradeforthatsemester.Additionally,threeunexcusedtardyarrivals

inonegradingperiodequaloneunexcusedabsenceaswellasadetention


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Pleasetaketimetoreadandfullyunderstandour

absentandtardypolicy.

Parents

Pleasemakesuretheattendanceofficehasareliablephonenumbertoreachyouduringschool hours.Should yourphone number change, please notify theattendance officeimmediately.Wewouldliketomakehomecontactonabsenceissuesbeforeproblemsdevelop.

AbsencesandTardies

Parentsmustwriteanexcusenotethatincludesdateofabsence(s)andavalidreasonforthe student tobringwhen they return toschool. Studentshaveonly2daystopresentanotetotheattendanceoffice.Notespresentedaftertwodayswillnotbeacceptedforanexcusedabsence.Theexcusenotesparentswriteareconsideredofficialdocumentsandarekeptonrecord.Assuch,theyshouldbewrittenonasignificantpieceofpaperandsignedanddatedby theparentand includefull informationastothereasonfortheabsenceorlateness.Excuses for simchas, especially those outside the immediate family, will not always behonored.Ifyouknowyouhaveanimportanteventimpending,pleasesendanotetotheoffice before the event. Visits from friends/family from Israel or other locales, andattendance at various yearly festivals are not valid excuses for absence or lateness.Errandsforparentsorthefamilyarealsonotvalidreasonsforabsenceortardiness.

Excusesfornon-specificfamilyproblems,tardiesduetotraffic,etc.,willnotbehonored.If you live in the city or far from Valley Village, you know traffic may be a problem,encourage your son/s /carpool /etc. to leave earlier. Also, please try to makeappointments for the dentist/doctor, court, DMV, etc., during hours outside of school.Thereareplentyofoff-daysthroughouttheyearwhenmostoftheseissuescanbeattendedto.In general, we try to be understanding of extenuating circumstances that every familyfaces. Allowances will be made for each student based upon their personal history ofattendanceandpunctuality.IfthereisapersistentproblemwhichyouthinkIshouldknowabout,pleasedonothesitatetocontactme.

Earlyreleases

Parentsmustsendanotetoschoolgivingtheirchildpermissiontoleaveatadesignatedtime.Thestudentwillpresentthenotetotheteacherandthenbringittotheattendanceofficetosignout.Intheeventofalastminuteearlyrelease,parentsmustcalltheofficeassoonaspossiblepriortothestudentstimeofdepartureandbepreparedtofaxanotetotheschool.Pleasenote:Iftheattendanceofficedoesnotreceivenotificationaboutastudentsearlyrelease,theirabsencewillbeconsideredunexcused.


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Students:

Absences

Bringanexcusenotethedayyoureturntoschoolafteranabsence.Anynotepresentedafter2dayswillnotbeacceptedasanexcusedabsence.

Tardytoschool/class

Astudentwhoarrivesat schoolafter10:00AMwillnotbeadmittedandforfeitshisattendanceinallclassesforthatday.Astudentmaybeadmittedafter10:00AMonlyifpriorarrangementsweremadethroughthe attendanceofficeorifthe studentbringsanotefromthedoctorsofficeexplaininghistardiness.Allstudentsaretobeinclassontimewiththeneededbooksandlearningmaterials.Studentswhodevelopaconsistentpatternoftardinessshowalackofrespectforlearningand

willresultindisciplinaryactionthatwillberecordedinthestudentscumulativerecord.Studentswhoaretardytoclassthreetimeswillbeassignedafter-schooldetention.

EarlyRelease

Studentswantingtoleaveearlymustpresentanotefromhometotheadministrationpriortoleavingclassatthedesignatedtime.Theadministratorwillnotifytheteacherofthereleasetime.Thestudentmustalsobringthenoteto theoffice tosignout.Studentsmusthaveparentalpermissionpriortoleaving the school. Failure to followtheseguidelineswillresultinanunexcusedabsence.

Atall times, studentsmustmakeupallmissed classes, assignmentsand testsand ifpossibleprepareforanyupcomingassignmentsandtests.

Failureduetoabsence(FA)

AnystudentwhofailsacourserequiredforgraduationduetoabsencesneedstomakeupthatcourseinordertograduatefromValleyTorahHighSchool.IfthestudentsgradewasaCorless,thenthestudentneedstomakeuptheentirecoursemakingsureitisVTHSapproved.DetailsregardingVTHSapprovedcoursescanbe obtainedfrom theschoolcounselor(seesummerschool).StudentswhosegradewaseitheranAorBhavetheoptiontoremovetheirFAgradebydoingcommunityservice.Studentswhofailanon

requiredcoursewillalsohavetodocommunityservicetoremovetheFAgrade.Theamountofcommunityserviceisbasedonthenumberofclassesthestudentmisseswith2hoursofcommunityserviceforeachclassmissed.Whenastudentmisses5periodsofaclasswithoutexcuse,thegradeautomaticallybecomesanFA.


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CitizenshipThepurposeofaconductcodeistoenablestudents,facultyandadministratorstoworktogethereffectively,nottopunishorcreateunfairrestrictions.The dignity, respectandrefinement thatwe demonstrate directly effect theamountofsuccessweachieveinour

studies.ThatispartofwhatChazalindicatewhentheysayDerechEretzprecedesTorah.Whenwebehaveproperly,webenefitthemost.Whenweactwithdecorumandself-control,wesendamessageaboutwhoweareandwhatwehope toachieve. Your behavior directlyreflects the way people view you.Students are expected to behave asBnaiTorah and toactwithdue regard for theauthorityof therebbeim, teachers, staff, andadministrators.Students are required torespecttheshareduseofschoolproperty,andtherightsandwelfareofotherstudentsandadults.

AcitizenshipgradewillbegivenbythePrincipalandrecordedineverystudentsreportcardforallgradingperiods.Thisgradewillreflectthestudentsgeneralconductduringthatgrading

period.Factorsthatwilleffectthegradeinclude:complyingwiththedresscode,demonstratingrespect,apositiveattitude,goodcharacterandintegrityinallaspectsofthestudentsschoollife.AVTHSstudentrepresentstheschoolandisexpectedtoupholdthemoralstandardsbeyondtheschooldayandoutsidetheschoolwalls.

DressCode

Themannerinwhichastudentdresseshasaprofoundimpactontheirgrowthas BneiTorahandtheeducationalatmosphereoftheschool.StudentsareexpectedtoexhibitanoverallappearanceconsistentwiththeTorahvaluesofTznius,modesty.Inaddition,itiscriticalthat all students dress in amannerreflecting self-esteem and respect for theyeshivaasaMakomTorahaplaceofTorahlearning.Thedresscodeisstrictlyenforced.Anystudentfoundinviolationofthiscodeisnotpermittedtoenteranyclassesuntil thenecessarycorrection inattire ismade.Whennecessarytohelpremedytheirstudentsappearance,parentsmaybecalled.Allabsencesandtardiesasaresultofadresscodeviolationareconsideredunexcused.Subsequentviolationsmayresultindetention,suspensionor,expulsion.

Shirts:

Mustbefullybuttoneddowndressshirt.Musthavestandardcollarsandsleeves.(Shortsleevesarepermitted).Mustbemadeupoflightcolors:black,brownandanyotherdarkcolorsarenotpermitted.Mayonlyhavestandardregisteredtrademarklogos.


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Pants:

Mustbedressorcottonslacks.Denim,khakiandjeanmaterialarenotacceptable.Maynothavepatchpockets.Mustbemadeupofdarkcolors:white,tanandanyotherlightcolorsarenotpermitted.Mustnotbefaded,ripped,tornorhaveanyholes.

Tzizis:

AsmandatedbyHalacha,everystudentistoweartzizisthroughouttheday.

Hair:

Mustbebetweeninch(#2)to1inch(#10)Themajorityofyourforeheadmustbevisible.Hairmaynotbedyed,highlighted,layered,buzzed,mohawk,mushroomcutorbowlcutAllstudentsareexpectedtobeclean-shaven,exceptduringSefira.Nogoatees,mustaches,

beards(exceptforreligiousreasons),orexaggeratedsideburnsarepermitted.

Miscellaneous:

1. Studentsshouldarriveatschoolfullyandappropriatelydressed.Failuretodosoisaviolationofthedresscode.

2. Studentsareexpectedtohavetheirshirtstuckedinespeciallyduringdavening.3. Nocapsofanykindarepermittedontheschoolgrounds.4. Studentsareexpectedtobedressedappropriatelyatallschoolfunctions,onoroff

campus.5. Allformsofjewelry(gold,silver,plasticorstring)includingnecklaces,bracelets,rings,

pocketchains,etc.arenotpermitted.

6. Openfrontshoes,sandals,slippers,crocsetcarenotpermitted.7. Socksmustbewornatalltimes.

PleasenotethatallpossibleviolationscannotbeaddressedinthisCodeofConduct.

Whenindoubtpleasecalltheofficesothatproblemscanbeavoided.ValleyTorahHigh

Schoolreservestherighttocorrectanystudentsbehaviororinfractionthatisdeemedinappropriateinoroutoftheschoolsetting.


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Cleanliness

OurYeshivaisaplaceofTorahandourcampusshould,therefore,betreatedwithproperrespect.Thismeansthatlitteringtheclassrooms,hallorgroundsanddefacingschoolpropertyeveninjest,suchasPurimShtickisprohibited.Anystudentfounddestroyingordefacingschoolpropertywillfacesevereadministrativedisciplinaryactioninadditionto

havingtheincidentrecordedintheirpermanentfile.OurenvironmentisaplaceofTorahandourcampusshould,therefore,betreatedwithproperrespect.Parentsarefinanciallyresponsibleforanydamagetoschoolproperty.Clothingorcontainersleftaroundschoolwillbediscarded.Backpacksorbooksleftaroundafterschoolwillberemovedandthestudentwillhavetopayafinetoobtainthebackpack.Eatinganddrinkingintheclassroomisstrictlyprohibited(waterisallowedonlywithteacherpermission);itcreatesaninappropriatelearningenvironment.Lunchandsnacksaretobeeateninthecafeteriaandschoolyard.Hallwaysmustremaincleanwithbackpacksplacedindesignatedarea.

InappropriateLanguage

Foullanguage,swearing,offensiveremarksandextremerudenessarenotacceptable.Thisviolationhasazerotolerancelevelandseriousconsequenceswillbeimplementedandreflectedinthestudentsrecord.

Disruptivebehavior

Anybehaviorthatdistractsfromthelearningprocessorslowstheprogressofothersisconsidereddisruptivebehavior.Thisincludesdisturbingaclassinwhichthestudentisnotenrolledin.Suchbehaviorisprohibitedandappropriateconsequenceswillbeimplemented.

CheatingandPlagiarism

AnyformofcheatingistotallyunacceptableandisadirectviolationofTorahvaluesandHalacha.Behavinginaninappropriatemannerduringaquizorexam,talking,whispering,eyeinganotherstudentswork,usingcheatsheets,assistingothersinanefforttoobtainagradenotworkedforonanexam,quiz,paperorhomeworkassignmentischeating.Theinfractionwillberecordedinthestudentsfileandparentswillbenotified.Studentswhocheatonexamsmaybesubjecttotestandorcoursefailure,suspensionorexpulsionfromschool.Theschoolhastherighttoforwardtoanycollegeorschoolyourentirerecord.Plagiarismwillresultinafailureontheassignment.


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GeneralPolicies

Offcampus

Duetomanysafetyandsecurityissues,studentsmustremainoncampusatalltimesunlessgivenpermissionbyanadministrator.Violationswillresultineitherdetentionorsuspension

basedontheseverityoftheviolation.Theschoolisresponsibleforyoursonswellbeingduringtheschoolday.Seniorsmayleaveonlyduringlunch.

Driving

Studentsmaynotdrivetoschooluntiltheyhavebeenassignedaparkingspace.Studentsmayonlyparkintheirassignedspace.Parkingspacesareassignedonafirstcome,firstservedbasis,weightedbyneed.Studentswhowishtodrivetoschoolmustreceivewrittenpermissionfromboththeirparentsandtheadministrationandmustproduceevidenceofcarinsurance.Thesestudentsmustsignawrittencontractconcerningtheirresponsibilitiesasadriver.Thesestudentsmayonlydrivetoandfromschool;theydonothavepermissiontoleaveschool

withoutspecifiedpermission.Studentsmaynotsitintheircarduringtheschooldaynormaytheydriveduringschoolhours. Violatorswillbesuspendedandfacethelossofalldrivingprivileges.

Rollerblades&Skateboards

Rollerbladesandskateboardsarenotpermittedoncampus.Intheeventthatasituationnecessitatestheuseof such items, specialpermissionmay begrantedby theadministration.

Bikes

Bikesarepermittedtobeusedfortransportationfromyourhometoschoolandback.Theymaynotbeusedforanyotherpurpose.Theymustbekeptlockedinabikerackduringschoolhours.

CellPhonesandElectronicEquipment

Nostudentistohaveacellphoneduringclasstimeorpassing.Misuseofcellphoneswillresultinitbeingconfiscatedfortheentireschoolyear.OnlythosecomputersmadeavailablebyVTHSmaybeusedby studentsoncampus.Personalcomputersincludingtablets(unlesspermittedbytheprincipalandthedirectoroftheSST)ormusicplayersareprohibited.Duetosecurityandprivacyconcernscamerasandvideoequipmentwillnotbeallowedinschoolwithoutpermission.

LockersStudentsmustuseanindividuallockerforthestorageofbooksandpersonalbelongs.A$50lockerrentalfeeiscollectedatthebeginningoftheschoolyear.Duringtheschoolday,studentsarerequiredtokeeptheirpropertyintheirlockers.Backpacksarenottobeleftunattendedinthecorridors,yard,orontopoflockers.


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Textbooks

Thelistoftextbookison-lineattheVTHSwebsite.Therearenumerousdiscounttextbookcompaniesthatcanbefoundontheinternet.Studentsneedtoputtheirnamesintheirtextbooksandmakesuretheyareintheirpossessionatalltimes.VTHScannotreplacelosttextbooks;thatistheresponsibilityofstudentsandtheirparents.Studentsneedtohavetheir

textbookinclasseverydayforreadyforuse.Booksthatareleftaroundtheschoolafter5:30willbestoredaway.Therewillbea$5.00feetoredeemeachbook.

SchoolOffice

Schooltelephonesarereservedforofficialbusiness-notforstudentuse.TelephonemessagesfromparentsandfamilyareacceptedandpostedontheStudentMessageCenterorthebulletinboardnearesttheoffice.Studentsmaynotusethecopiermachineatanytime.

Announcements

Learningproceedsmosteffectivelywithoutinterruptions.Parentsandfamilymembersarenotpermittedtoentertheclassroomtospeakwiththeirchildren.Studentsarenotallowedtoenter

classroomstheyarenotenrolledinwithoutpermissionfromtheadministration.Oncepermissionisgranted,anoteistobepresentedtotheteacheruponenteringtheclassroom.

ExtracurricularActivities

VTHSstronglysupportsandencouragesstudentparticipationinavarietyofextracurricularactivities.Participationintheseactivities,however,isaprivilegeaffordedonlytostudentsingoodstanding.Academic,disciplinaryandattendancestandardsmustbemaintainedbythosewhowishtobepartoftheseactivities.Studentswhodonotmeetthesestandardsaresubjecttoactivityprobation,whichmayresultintheirremovalfromtheactivity.VTHSisauthorizedtoissueworkpermits.

ExtracurricularFees

Pleasebeadvisedthatadditionalfees,basedonexpenses,arechargedforsomeextracurricularactivities.Thereisaseparategraduationfeetohelpcovertheexpensesofgraduationexercisesandceremony.

SchoolTrips

Classtripsandschool-wideShabbatonimarescheduledfromtimetotimethroughouttheschoolyear.Parentsarenotifiedinadvanceofthedate,time,destination,modeoftransportation,andcostofthetrip.ShabbatonimareanintegralpartofVTHSprogram.Muchtimeandcreativeeffortgointoplanningaweekendthatisspiritually,physically,and

emotionallyexciting.Everystudentisexpectedtoattend.


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ComputerLabOurnewcomputerlabisusedforacademicpurposesonly.Thelabwillbeusedduringclasssessionsbytheteachingstaff.Inaddition,theschoolhasarrangedfordesignatedtimes,postedonthelabsdoorforstudentstouseforacademicworkonly.Computersareavailableonlywhenastaffmemberissupervising.

ComputerUsageRules

1. Computersareonlyforacademicuse.2. Ateachermustbepresentintheroomduringallcomputersessionstomonitorstudent

activity.

3. Studentsmaynotaccessinappropriatewebsitesoranywebsitenotpertainingtotheclass.

4. Computersmaynotbeborrowedorremovedfromtheclassroomunderanycircumstances.

5. Nosoftwareordownloads(withoutpermission)ofanytypemaybeloadedontothecomputers.

6. Nogamesmaybeplayedonthecomputers.Nosocialnetworkingsitesmaybeaccessed.7. Computersareforwordprocessing,Excelandinternetresearchonly.8. Chattingandbloggingareforbidden9. Studentsneedtobringaflashdriveiftheywanttosaveinformation.10.Studentsmaynotsaveinformationontheharddrive

Studentswhoviolateanyoftheabovepolicieslosetheirprivilegeonschoolowned

computers.


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InfractionsandTheirConsequences

Infraction ConsequencesCuttingClass 1st&2ndoffense:detention

3rdoffense:Suspensionwithfailinggrade

Arrivingover10minuteslate(unexcused) 1st&2ndoffense:Noticesenttoparents3rdoffense:Detention

DressCodeViolation 1stoffense:notadmittedtoclassuntil

violationiscorrected

2ndoffense:Detention 3rdOffense:Suspension

DrivingwithoutPermission Automaticsuspensionandpossiblelossofdrivingprivilege

OffCampusViolation: 1st&2ndOffense:Detention

3rdOffense:Suspension

CheatingandPlagiarism 1stoffense:failureofthequiz,testorpaper,

notifyparents. 2ndOffense:failureofthecourseand

suspensionorexpulsion

FailuretoServeDetention AutomaticSuspension


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TeffilahProgram

AsaBneiTorah,weallknowtheimportanceofTeffilahinourlives.InordertomakeourTeffilahmoremeaningful,wehavetoworktogethertocreatetherightatmospherewherewecanexperiencedaveninginthepresenceofHashem.Itis,therefore,importantthatweknow

someofthebasicHalochosandHanhogos(behaviors)ofDavening.

OneshouldarriveforDaveningontime. OneshouldDaveninaMokomKevuah(orassignedseat). Oneshouldrefrainfromtalking,disturbing,orsleepingduringDavening. OnesbehaviorshouldbedignifiedandconsistentwithTorahvalues.

TohelpmaintaintherightatmosphereduringDavening,theschoolhassetupaTeffilahprogram.Inthisprogram,Talmidimaregivenopportunitiestoreceivecommendationsforgoodconductandpunctualityand,likewise,acceptconsequencesforlackofdecorumandtardiness.Additionally,aTeffilahgradewillbegivenoneveryreportcardbasedoneachstudentssuccess

intheprogram.

vths boys handbook 2013-14

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