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Grayson

Highlands

School

2014 – 2015 GHS Student Handbook

Home of the Eagles!

“Providing a positive learning environment where everyone will soar to success.”

Student Handbook

2014-2015

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Page # Contents

1 Greetings and Message from the Principal

2 Faculty Contacts

3 Master Schedule

4 Additional Schedules (Daily, Lunch, Bus, Office)

5 Miscellaneous – Policies and Procedures

6 Miscellaneous – Policies and Procedures continued

7 SOLS and Accountability

8 Anti-Bullying Policy

9 Attendance Policy

10 Positive Behavior, Intervention and Support (Formerly ESD)

11 Student Recognition

12 Special Programs

13 Homework Policy

14 Homework Policy -- Continued

15 Helpful Web Pages

16 Various County-Wide Notifications

17 Various County-Wide Notifications -- Continued

18 Various County-Wide Notifications -- Continued

19 Non-Discrimination Policy

20 Notification of Screening Procedures and Timelines

21 Response to Intervention – Parental Notification

22 Dismissal Due to Heat

Grayson Highlands School … Home of the Eagles!

“Providing a positive learning environment where everyone will soar to success.”


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“Providing a positive environment where everyone will soar to success.” 1

Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome to Grayson Highlands School for the 2014-2015 school year. The faculty and staff at GHS extend

you the warmest greetings. At G.H.S. we are committed to creating a learning environment where everyone will have

ample opportunity to experience academic and personal success.

We have provided this handbook so you may become acquainted to the policies and procedures at G.H.S.

Policies and procedures detailed within this handbook allow us to operate a school that is safe, positive, and

academically productive. Parents, please review the handbook closely with your child and contact a teacher or

administrator if you have any questions.

Our mission at Grayson Highlands School is to “provide a positive learning environment where everyone will

soar to success.” In effort to accomplish our mission, GHS faculty and staff subscribe to the following educational

belief system:

“Children, who are our future, deserve

1. To be respected,

2. To be educated in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe,

3. To be held to high academic and behavior expectations and provided ample opportunity to meet those

expectations,

4. To be celebrated for their individuality, and

5. To be taught by teachers who are not only effective, but also inspirational.”

As the school year progresses, please do not hesitate to contact me via phone or email with any questions or

concerns. I am always happy to sit down and talk with any stakeholder regarding the direction of the school. I look

forward to working with you throughout the coming year to ensure your child soars to success at GHS.

Sincerely,

Marlin L. Campbell, Principal


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“Providing a positive learning environment where everyone will soar to success.” 2

G.H.S. Faculty Assignment and Contact Information

First Name Last Name Position E-Mail Address

Jessica Anders Pre-Kindergarten [email protected]

Traci Brandon 6th and 7th Grade Language Arts [email protected]

Marlin Campbell Principal [email protected]

Rebecca Chapman Day Treatment Counselor [email protected]

James Cline School Resource Officer [email protected]

Janna Farmer Special Education [email protected]

Darrell Goad Guidance [email protected]

Karen Hackler Day Treatment Counselor [email protected]

Cody Haga 6th and 7th Grade Math [email protected]

Martha Hall 1st Grade [email protected]

Penny Halsey Speech Therapist [email protected]

Van Harris Physical Education [email protected]

Pauline Houck Secretary [email protected]

Joy Lambert 2nd Grade [email protected]

Roberta Paisley 4th/5th Grade Math and Science [email protected]

Heather Peak 3rd Grade [email protected]

Kelly Pennington Kindergarten [email protected]

Jackie Perry School Nurse [email protected]

Sherri Perry US His. II and Civics [email protected]

Tina Peters Special Education [email protected]

Missy Plummer Title 1 Teacher [email protected]

Emily Spencer Appalachian Music [email protected]

Ashley Starkey 4th/5th Grade L.A. and S.S. [email protected]

Melinda Vaughan Media Specialist [email protected]

Taryn Wooten Brass Band [email protected]


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GHS Master Schedule -- 2013-2014

Grade 8:15-9:00 9:05-9:50 9:55-10:40 10:45-11:30 11:35-12:00 12:05-12:50 12:55-1:40 1:45-2:30 2:35-3:20

7 B/MM/S PE M7 M7 Lunch C&E S7 LA 7 LA 7

6 PE B/MM/S LA 6 LA 6 Lunch M6 M6 USHI S6

5 M5 M5 S5 EXP Lunch LA5 LA5 LA5 SS5

4 LA 4 LA 4 VA Studies EXP Lunch S$ M4 M4 LA 4

3 EXP Lunch

Grade 8:15-9:00 9:05-9:50 9:55-10:40 10:45-11:10 11:15-12:00 12:05-12:50 12:55-1:40 1:45-2:30 2:35-3:20

2 EXP Lunch

1

EXP Lunch

K

Lunch EXP

PK Lunch EXP

Specials Schedule

Class Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

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10:45-11:30

PE Guidance PE Library Music

4 Library PE Music PE Guidance

3 Music PE Library PE Guidance

2 9:55-10:40

PE Guidance Library Music Music

1 Music Library Music PE Guidance

K 12:05-12:50

PE Guidance Library Music Music

PK Music Library Music PE Guidance

B = Brass Band

S = String Band

MM = Multimedia

LT = Literacy Team Time

MT = Math Team Time


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G.H.S. Daily Schedule

7:25 The school opens.

7:30 Breakfast service begins.

8:10 Students are dismissed from the cafeteria to their classrooms.

8:15 Instruction begins.

3:20 Instruction ends.

4:30 The school is closed.

Lunch Schedule

10:45-11:10 11:35-12:00

PK, K, First, and Second Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh

Students arriving after 8:15 must check in through the main office with a parent. They will be

considered tardy.

We strongly discourage parents from coming into the building to check-out their child after

3:00. Doing this slows down the parent pick-up process for all students and adults and interrupts vital

instructional time.

No students are allowed in the building prior to 7:25 or after 3:25 unless they are under the direct

supervision of a school employee.

Buses typically leave the GHS parking lot in the evenings at 3:45. Buses that deliver students from

the high school (7, 12, 20, and 17) are the last to leave and they leave in that order.

The bus radio is monitored every evening until 4:45 by the principal (or designee) in order to offer

assistance to the drivers and students as needed.

The office is staffed and the phones are answered between the hours of 8:00 and 4:30 every day. No

one is available to answer the phone before or after these times.


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Miscellaneous

Dress Code – All students are encouraged to dress in clothing that is comfortable and designed for active

participation. Specifically, no shorts, skirts, or dresses should be worn that are shorter than the finger tips when

extended fully by the side. In addition, any jeans with holes in them should not have holes higher than the finger tips

when extended fully by the side. Overly revealing tops should be avoided as well. Hats are not to be worn inside the

building unless a special event has been designated.

Electronic Policy -- All electronic devices (iPods, iPads, e-Readers, cell phones, etc) should remain off and out of sight

during the school day. The adult in charge may grant students special access to these devices at times deemed

appropriate. Should a student fail to comply with this policy, the device will be confiscated by the classroom teacher

and held for a 24 hour period. The child’s guardian would be welcome to pick up the device at any time. Should the

student violate the policy a second time, the child’s guardian is required to come to school to pick up the device.

Energy & Soft Drinks -- Student consumption of any type of “energy drink,” such as Surge, Vault, etc. on GHS

property is strictly prohibited. Consumption of soft drinks such as Mtn. Dew, Pepsi, etc. is limited to special events

with teacher permission. Thank you in advance for not packing these items with your child’s lunch or snack.

FaceBook – G.H.S. maintains an official school Face Book page. Should you have a Face Book page, we ask that you

become a fan of the school page so you can receive continuous and real-time updates from the school. We do ask

that you remember this is strictly a positive webpage that can be viewed by anyone. Should you have a complaint or

grievance, please contact the school directly.

Friday Snacks – Each Friday students are offered the opportunity purchase a drink and a snack, such as an ice cream

or popcorn. The cost of this snack is $2.00. This is not primarily intended to be a fundraiser, but is a way for students

to celebrate the end of the week and their hard work. Ability to purchase the snack is a privilege and may be revoked

for individuals and/or classes at anytime. Any money left over in the snack account will be used to offer free snacks

to the student body the last few weeks of the year and to provide an end of year celebration for all students.

Lockers – Sixth and seventh grade students will be assigned a top and bottom locker this year. Combination locks for

the lockers can be rented from the school for $3.00. Students may not bring a lock from home. Students and parents

are reminded that the lockers are subject to search at anytime for any reason by any GHS employee. All locker

assignments are a privilege. Student lockers can be taken away at anytime if there is a problem.

Parent Pick-Up and Parent Drop-Off -- Parent pick-up and drop-off will occur at the second front entrance (NOT the

entrance by the main office). In the event of precipitation, PPU and PDO will occur under the awning by the main

entrance. Having PPU and PDO at the 2nd front entrance allows students to enter the building and be monitored by

one person as they proceed directly to the cafeteria. Doing PPU and PDO in the front of the building and bus pick-up

and drop-off in the back of the building creates a safe and easily manageable process for the students and staff.


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Miscellaneous (continued)

Parent/Teacher Conferences – Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th six

weeks. Your child’s teacher will contact you via letter to schedule a conference if your child is not performing

adequately. However, it is important to realize you do not have to (nor should you) wait to the end of the six weeks

to meet with your child’s teacher. Please contact your child’s teacher anytime you feel a parent/teacher conference

is necessary. He/she will be happy to accommodate your request.

Parking – We ask that when you visit the school, please park in one of the reserved visitor spaces in front of the

building. We need to keep the area under the awning open for emergency vehicles and other situations.

Payments to GHS – Anytime your child submits a payment to a GHS employee in an amount greater than $3.00

he/she will receive a receipt. Please keep a copy of this receipt as proof of payment.

Progress Reports – Progress reports will be sent home on the 16th day of the current six-weeks. Progress reports are

to be signed and returned to the teacher the following day. If the 20th day of a six-weeks has passed and you have not

seen a progress report for each of your child’s classes, please contact the teacher for assistance.

School Lunch and Breakfast – For the 2014-2015 school year, elementary full price lunch will be $1.80. Breakfast and

free/reduced prices have not changed.

School Trips – School trips will be planned primarily by the students’ teacher(s). Trips will be planned to reinforce

material taught within the classroom and will be designed to be as time-efficient and cost-effective as possible. We

will typically take parent chaperones with us on school trips. Parent chaperones will typically be selected through

lottery process and the number of parent chaperones attending will depend on the number of seats available on the

bus.

Volunteering at GHS – If you are interested in volunteering at G.H.S. we ask that you please complete a volunteer

application (available at the main office). Teachers will contact you as necessary throughout the year to request your

assistance. You will be required to purchase and complete a background check

Year Books – GHS will offer a yearbook to all students. The year book sponsor is Roberta Paisley. It will be a 20-30

page soft-cover year book and the price will be $15.00. You are encouraged to pay for your yearbook the night of

open house. The year book will be ordered in early January and will be distributed close to the end of school.


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SOLS and Accountability

The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires states to set annual objectives for

increasing student achievement to ensure that all children have an opportunity to obtain a high-quality education.

In order to meet federal requirements for the 2012-2013 school year, GHS must meet the following Annual

Measurable Objectives (AMOs):

At least equal to a 70% pass rate in Mathematic assessments.

At least equal to a 70% pass rate in Reading assessments.

A second accountability rating awarded by the state is known as “accreditation.” School accreditation ratings

reflect student achievement on SOL tests. Schools are considered “fully accredited” if they obtain the following SOL pass rates during the previous school year:

English – 75%

Math – 70%

Social Studies – 70%

Science – 70%

Students at Grayson Highlands School take the following Standards of Learning assessments during the spring of the academic year.

3rd Grade: Mathematics and Reading

4th Grade: Mathematics, Reading, and VA Studies

5th Grade: Mathematics, Reading and Science

6th Grade: Mathematics and Reading

7th Grade: Mathematics, Reading, and Civics & Economics

Student instruction at all levels is driven by the “Standards of Learning” that are set forth by the Virginia

Department of Education. These standards, along with a curriculum framework and additional accountability

information can be found on the Virginia Department of Education webpage.

The GHS faculty and staff thank you for your support as we strive to obtain these rigorous standards!


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Anti-Bullying Policy Summary

Our school is committed to providing students with a safe and supportive learning environment. We do not

condone harassment, intimidation or bullying in school, on school grounds, in school buses, at bus stops, or at school

events. In addition, we do not condone and will take action against out-of-school bullying incidents that significantly

interfere with student learning.

Definition of Bullying: Bullying is intentional, hurtful behavior, repeated over time. It can be physical, verbal,

emotional, or sexual. G.H.S also recognizes the reality of cyber-bullying as well. Bullying includes the harassment and

intimidation of a person, which may be, but need not be, based on the person’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, religion,

national origin, age, disability or sexual orientation.

Expected Behavior: Grayson Highlands School expects students to treat others with dignity and respect. Student

conduct should contribute to a positive and productive learning environment. We expect students to try to help

students who are bullied, include students who are easily left out and report all instances of bullying to the school.

Reporting Procedures for Bullying Incidents: School employees are required to report alleged violations of this policy

to the principal. Students, parents and visitors are encouraged to report any act that may be a violation of this policy.

Incident Report Forms are available in each classroom and should be submitted to the principal. Reports may be

made anonymously and placed in the Bully Box located by the office. All reports will be taken seriously and will result

in a thorough investigation. Retaliation against any person who files a report is prohibited. Making false reports is

prohibited as well. We will also determine whether a student’s civil rights have been violated according to federal

antidiscrimination laws.

Investigation Process for Reported Bullying Incidents: The principal shall begin a prompt, thorough and complete

investigation of alleged acts of bullying within five (5) school days of receiving an Incident Report. The goal of an

investigation is to obtain an accurate account of incidents and circumstances deemed relevant to the allegations, to

determine whether bullying occurred, and to identify the student(s) responsible for the acts. These procedures are

intended to protect the rights of all parties involved.

Consequences for Bullying Behavior: Our school has developed a rubric of consequences that match specific

behaviors to disciplinary and/or remedial actions. This rubric will be used as a basis for determining appropriate

action. In determining appropriate action, administrators will consider age, development and relationship of

individual involved, degree of harm, surrounding circumstances, the nature and severity of the incident, past

instances and the contest in which the incident occurred.


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Grayson County Public School Attendance Policy Summary

GHS believes that educators must create an environment that makes learning a challenging, creative, and

stimulating experience for the students. In this type of environment, it is imperative that students make every effort

to be present each day and to be in attendance the entire instructional day. Grayson County Public Schools follows a

three tier student attendance policy. What follows is a brief summary of this policy. Should you need more details

regarding the policy, please review policy file JED which can be found on the GCPS webpage. Grayson Highlands

School makes every effort to implement and strictly follow this attendance policy throughout the school year.

Grayson Highlands School recognizes three types of absences, tardies, and/or check-outs. These include:

1. Unexcused: Occurs when a student is absent and provides no documentation for the reason (no parent/guardian phone call or note). This is considered an “unverified” absence.

2. Excused: Occurs when a student is absent and provides documentation (parent/guardian phone call or note) stating a somewhat legitimate reason for the absence. This is considered an “unverified” absence.

3. Verified: Occurs when a student is absent, tardy, or checks-out and provides official documentation of a

doctor’s visit, court appearance, or family death.

The GCPS attendance policy mandates three levels of intervention for truant students. These are:

Tier 1: 5 Day Attendance Meeting: After a student has accumulated five unverified absences (excused or unexcused)

the parent/guardian is contacted to schedule a School-Based Attendance Committee meeting.

Tier 2: Community Based Attendance Meeting: If a student continues to accrue unverified absences after a school

based attendance meeting, the principal refers the student to a closed hearing with the GCPS Community Based

Attendance Committee . The CBA committee will recommend one of the following actions:

1. Filing a complaint with the juvenile and domestic relations court alleging the pupil is a child in need of

supervision as defined in Chapter 16.1-229 or

2. Instituting proceedings against the parent pursuant to Chapter 18.2-371 or Chapter 22.1-262 or,

3. Sending the case back to the school and request more intervention at the building level.

Tier 3: Referral to Juvenile Services: If the first two interventions are not successful, students under 18 are referred

to the juvenile and domestic relations court. The parent may be referred as well.

Anytime a student is absent, parents are asked to call the day of the absence and to send a written note detailing the

reason for the absence. In order to obtain a “verified” absence, tardy, or check-out, verification of a dr. visit, court

appearance or death in the family will need to be sent in to the office.


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Positive Behavior and Intervention Support

During its initial year of operation, GHS faculty, staff, students, and parents worked to develop a positive

behavior intervention and support system (PBIS) to guide our discipline program. The program’s primary focus is to

teach appropriate behaviors to students and then consistently and positively enforce these behaviors.

Through these efforts, GHS stakeholders have established four primary school-wide expectations:

All GHS faculty, staff, students, and visitors will:

1. Strive to be responsible

2. Own our attitudes and actions

3. Always behave safely

4. Respect ourselves and others

Teachers are tasked to develop one to two specific guidelines for each of these expectations for their individual

classrooms. In addition these expectations are used to guide behavior on playgrounds, in the cafeteria, or any other

GCPS property.

GHS faculty and staff have developed many “reward” systems to enforce good behavior. These include the “Eagle

Buck” system, programs and assemblies, and field trips. Disciplinary action for students who fail to follow the

expectations might include parent contacts, silent lunch, in school suspension, out of school suspension and/or after

school detention.

In addition, great effort is made to coordinate this program with other student support programs such as the

school anti-bullying program and the county-wide attendance program.

The second grade teacher, Mrs. Joy Lambert, works as the school’s PBIS coordinator. Please feel free to contact

her or the school principal with any questions regarding the program.


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Student Recognition

Students at G.H.S. are selected to be recognized for the following awards at the end of each six-weeks:

Principal’s Pick – A student from each wing recognized as most closely and consistently following the school-

wide expectations.

Citizenship -- Two students from each grade recognized as most closely and consistently following exhibiting

the character trait for that particular six-weeks.

All A Honor Roll – Students in each grade level who have earned all As within the given six-weeks.

A/B Honor Roll – Students in each grade level who have earned all As and Bs within the given six-weeks.

Attendance -- Students in each grade level who been at school every day during the given six-weeks.

At the end of the school year a seventh grade graduation and school-wide awards assembly will be held. Students in

grades 1-7 will be eligible to receive the following recognition:

Citizen of the Year – Two students selected from the six-week citizenship recipients as having most closely

and consistently exhibited the GCPS character traits throughout the year.

Honor Roll —Students who have earned all As all year and students who have earned all As and Bs.

Top Averages – Students in each grade with the top averages in Math, Science, Social Studies and Language

Arts.

Perfect Attendance – Students who have been at school everyday throughout the year.

Accelerated Reader – The top two A.R. point earners from each grade for the year.

Advanced and Perfect SOL Scores – Students who have scored 500 or higher on an SOL test and students who

have earned a 600 on an SOL test.

Seventh Grade Valedictorian -- The seventh grade student having the highest grade point average for grades

3-7.


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Additional Services

Special Education Program -- Grayson Highlands School is committed to providing an educational experience that is

productive and appropriate for all students. To this end, GHS is staffed with two highly qualified special education teachers

who oversee the special education program and the development and implementation of Individualized Educational Plans

for students with disabilities. Should you feel your child is having difficulty accessing the curriculum at Grayson Highlands,

we encourage you to talk with your child’s teacher to explore any options, including the special education program, which

might better assist your student!

Title 1 Program -- GHS staffs a highly qualified teacher who is dedicated to providing additional instruction to any student

who needs extra assistance in Math or Reading. The Title 1 teacher will often work with students within the classroom

setting. At times, the teacher may pull small groups of students from the classroom for short periods of time, for more

intensive and prescriptive remediation and attention

School Resource Officer – Grayson Highlands School serves as a home office for a full-time School Resource Officer. The SRO is a Grayson County Sherriff’s Deputy. The SRO will work together with the school board and their administrators to ensure the safety of the facility and students attending that school. The primary function of the program is to provide a safe environment for the school. The SRO shall become involved in their school's curriculum and provide instruction that will enhance the student's understanding of the law. When practical the deputy will teach law related classes.

School Nurse -- G.H.S. staffs a full-time registered nurse. The nurse’s role is to provide medical care in emergency

situations, monitor student illness and injury at the school, communicate with parents/guardians as necessary regarding

student health, and provide health related educational programming to the students and adults at the school. In addition,

the nurse can administer medication to students as directed by doctor prescription/parent notes.

Mt. Rogers Community Services Therapeutic Day Treatment Program -- The goal/mission for MRCSB Therapeutic Day

Treatment is to provide intensive school-based treatment for youth experiencing significant functioning impairments in the

school setting due to emotional, mental and/or behavioral symptoms. The goal for these services is to stabilize and/or

enhance psychosocial functioning and age-appropriate skills. Should you feel your child could benefit from these services,

please contact the main office for a referral packet.

The Guidance Program -- G.H.S. staffs a guidance counselor three days per week; Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. The

guidance counselor position serves several roles at G.H.S. These include:

Maintenance of office hours in which students may meet with the guidance counselor.

Guidance Class: Students in grades K-5 meet with the guidance counselor 45 minutes per week as a class

Monitoring and implementation of the Grayson County Public Schools attendance policy at G.H.S.

Parent / Teacher Organization -- We are very fortunate to have an extremely active PTO at Grayson Highlands. The

executive committee meets monthly. This meeting is typically followed by a general PTO meeting each month. Please

review the school web page or contact Amy Donley, PTO president for more information regarding the GHS parent teacher

organization.


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G.H.S. Homework Policy

Statement of Understanding: The purpose for this homework policy is to ensure there is a clear understanding

between teachers, parents, and students regarding the assignment and completion of homework at Grayson

Highlands School. Currently, there is a county-wide homework policy in place. This policy (policy IKB) is available on

the GCPS webpage. The GHS policy is designed to supplement, not supplant that current policy.

Stakeholder Responsibilities: What follows is a brief explanation of the responsibilities for each stakeholder in the

homework process.

Teachers: 1. Assign homework only after the topic has been introduced and the skill necessary to

complete the homework has been thoroughly taught.

2. Work to promptly evaluate and return the majority of homework assignments.

3. The amount of homework assigned should be based upon the chart at the end of this

policy.

4. Make necessary accommodations for students who consistently have difficulty completing

the work in the allotted time.

5. Communicate with other teachers the student has, in order to ensure the compilation of

homework from all teachers does not surpass the guidelines listed at the end of this policy.

6. Ensure that the student has an accurate written record of the homework assignment to be

completed prior to leaving for the day.

7. Communicate with the parent if a lengthy homework assignment is unfinished class work

being taken home as a result of the student using his/her class time inefficiently.

Parents: 1. Review the child’s homework assignments each night.

2. Set aside a designated time and place for the student to complete the homework.

3. Provide the necessary materials for the child to complete the homework assignment.

4. Actively supervise the homework completion, providing assistance to the student, but not

doing the assignment for the student.

5. Communicate with the teacher directly; via phone call, note, or email should he/she feel

the child needs either more or less homework assigned.

6. Make certain the child reads (or is read to) every day.


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G.H.S. Homework Policy

Student: 1. Leave school every day with the homework assignment in writing in a consistent location.

2. Take home the necessary materials to complete the homework assignment.

3. Work diligently for at least the amount of time that is appropriate for your grade level.

4. Be willing to work above and beyond that time limit. Working hard and going “above and

beyond” is rewarded not only in school, but also life.

5. Ask your teacher questions if you do not understand the assignment.

Special Notes:

It is difficult but necessary for the teacher to determine if the reason for a student failing to complete an

assignment is because he/she could not do the assignment, or would not do the assignment. It will be

necessary for the individual teacher to use his/her professional judgment in these situations. The teacher will

use input from the student, the guardian, and a review of the student’s past performance to make this

decision. Should it be determined that the student is choosing not to complete the necessary homework, the

teacher, parent, and principal will work together to determine the necessary course of action.

“Reading Time” means either the student reading or a fluent reader reading to him/her.

Homework Time Guidelines

Grade Homework Time Reading Time

Pre-Kindergarten N/A 20 Minutes (Minimum)

Kindergarten 10 Minutes or Less 20 Minutes (Minimum)

First Grade 20 Minutes or Less 20 Minutes (Minimum)

Second Grade 30 Minutes or Less 20 Minutes (Minimum)

Third Grade 30 Minutes or Less 20 Minutes (Minimum)

Fourth & Fifth Grade 30 Minutes or Less 20 Minutes (Minimum)

Sixth and Seventh Grade 40 Minutes or Less 20 Minutes (Minimum)


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Helpful Web Resources

Grayson County Public Schools – www.grayson.k12.va.us

Please access this webpage and bookmark it in your favorites. This is a new webpage that will be updated throughout

the year with valuable G.C.P.S. information.

Grayson Highlands School – http://graysonhighlands.sharpschool.net/

This is a new webpage as well. We are hopeful that by the end of the first semester, you will be able to find

everything you need to know about GHS on this webpage. Please keep checking back.

VA Department of Education – www.doe.virginia.gov

This webpage contains a great number of resources for parents and students. By clicking on the links on the left hand

side of the webpage you can access subject specific SOLs, curriculum frameworks, lesson plans, released SOL tests

and practice programs.

Study Island -- www.studyisland.com

Each student at Grayson Highlands is assigned a Study Island username and password. Your child can log on to this

webpage anywhere there is internet access and receive assistance and participate in activities designed to assist them

with their specific subjects. There are also some great “tracking” tools on the webpage so that teachers, parents, and

students can monitor your child’s progress.

Triple A Math – www.aaamath.com

This is an excellent resource that provides specific directions on completing virtually any mathematics task in grades

K-7. This page can be extremely helpful to parents who need to brush up on Math skills before providing assistance

to their child on homework. Students also can complete tutorials and practice problems on the webpage.


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County-Wide Notifications

Transportation --Forty-five school buses travel regular home-to-school routes each school day to provide transportation for

students in all areas of the county. Information about bus routes and bus numbers should be directed to individual school

principals. Bus rules and regulations, which are vital to the safe transportation of students, are distributed during school

business days or the first day of class. Parents are asked to read these carefully, sign the form, and return the completed

form to the school office. Requests for any change in a student’s normal bus routine must be written, dated, and signed by

the student’s parent or guardian and presented to the school principal for consideration. To enhance safe pupil

transportation, each bus is equipped with an audio and video surveillance system, which allows monitoring of students and

driver. Emergency evacuation drills are practiced twice during the school year. All buses are equipped with a two-way radio

communication system.

Activity buses provide transportation for secondary students participating in school-related activities scheduled after

regular school hours. Designated stops for school buses are generally assigned to central location in the county.

Emergency School Closings--Every effort is made to announce school closing by 6:00 a.m. However, a borderline case might

possibly come later than 6:00 a.m. This possibility is somewhat rare. Announcements will be made on:

WBRF – Galax WXII Channel 12 – Winston Salem WWWJ – Galax

WSLQ – Roanoke WDBJ Channel 7 – Roanoke WOLD – Marion

WXLX – Roanoke WSLS Channel 10 – Roanoke WKSK – West Jefferson

WMEV – Marion WCBY Channel 5 – Public Radio WVTF Public Radio – Roanoke

Announcements will be posted to the Grayson County Public Schools website and the School Messenger Instant Alert

System will also be utilized to attempt phone contact with parents/ guardians. If announcements are not made, schools will

continue on schedule. Students and personnel should refrain from making telephone calls to the School Board Office, the

bus garage, the schools, or the radio and television stations. In case of unexpected school closing, such as water or heating

problems, all students should know where they are to go if parents are working or not home.

Special Education -- The Grayson County School System provides programs to serve students from the ages of 2 through 21

inclusive that have disabilities and are in need of special education and related services. Students are provided a free and

appropriate education in the least restrictive environment at no cost. Children with Disabilities include those with

intellectual disability, physical impairments, serious emotional disability, speech or language impairments, hearing

impairments, visual impairments, autism, other health impairments, developmental delay, traumatic brain injury, specific

learning disabilities, deaf-blindness, multiple disabilities, or developmental delay.

Related services, such as special transportation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy

are provided when necessary for students with disabilities to benefit from their special education program.


19



County-Wide Notifications -- Continued

Homebound Instruction-- Homebound instruction is provided to students who are confined for an extended period of

time which would prevent normal educational progress. To be eligible for homebound instruction, students are

required to demonstrate the existence of an emotional or physical problem that prevents attendance at school. For

more information, please contact the student’s teacher, the school principal, or the Student Services Office at 276-

773-2026.

Virginia Pre-School Initiative -- Grayson County Public Schools offers preschool programs through the Virginia

Preschool Initiative. These programs are for at-risk children who will be four years old by September 30. Locations for

the programs are Baywood Elementary, Fries School, and Grayson Highlands School. Bus transportation is provided to

and from school. Applications may be obtained at any of the elementary schools. For all other referrals, contact the

Special Education Supervisor at (276)773-2026.)

Gifted Education -- The goal of the gifted education program for Grayson County is to provide a differentiated

instructional program designed to meet the needs of students who are identified as having outstanding ability. Once

identified, students may be served by enrichment in regular classrooms, special projects, by a resource teacher, or by

special classes. Opportunities are available for high school students to participate in several programs such as

advanced placement classes. In addition, summer Governor’s Schools services are available for grades K-12.

Adult Education -- The Grayson County School System provides an adult education program. This program promotes

Basic Adult Education and GED Education. For adults who wish to receive the GED, classes are provided at various

locations in Grayson County. All programs are free of charge. Anyone wishing to enroll in the Adult Education Classes

should contact the Grayson County CATE Center Principal, Karen Blevins, at (276)-773-2951.

School Health Services -- Five registered nurses provide health care for Grayson County Students. The School Health

Office is located in the Grayson County School Health Services Clinic, which adjoins the GCHS Campus. Services

include screening, staff training, development of health care plans for students with special health needs, special

education health services, preventative and primary health care, records review, health education, and wellness

promotion. You may access the School Health Office at 276-773-2906.

Instructional Organization -- It is the policy of the board to incorporate Department of Education guidelines, the

Standards of Quality, and accreditation regulations in designing the programs of the system. All instructional

programs are guided by the Virginia State Standards of Learning. These are supplemented by local curriculum efforts

to address the needs of Grayson County students.


20



County-Wide Notifications -- Continued

Visiting Teacher / School Social Worker -- The visiting teacher/school social worker is a practice specialty that

provides unique services to students, families, and communicates in order to help students receive maximum benefits

from the school program. Students are the primary focus of the educational process and are viewed by the visiting

teacher/school social worker in relation to the family, school, neighborhood, and community. This individual

contributes knowledge of and concern for the wide range of social, emotional, cultural, and economic differences

among children, families, and communities and is experienced and trained to deal with students through parent

contact, counseling students, or consulting with school personnel.

Accident / Illness Notification -- In case of emergency, the school will first notify the student’s parents or guardians. If

they cannot be reached, the emergency phone number will be called. Emergency numbers should be given on the

registration form. Please be sure to notify the people whose numbers you give your school to use in case of

emergency. Please also notify your school whenever a telephone number changes.

Visiting Schools -- For the safety of our children, ALL visitors to any Grayson County School are required to report to

the school office before going to classrooms or elsewhere in the school building or on school grounds.


21



Non-Discrimination Policy

The Grayson County School Board does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or

age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

The following person has been designated to handle inquires regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Judy Greear, Assistant Superintendent and/or Stephen Cornett, Director of Instruction and Assessment

PO Box 888

Independence, VA 24348

276-773-2832

For further information on notice of non-discrimination, visit

http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm for the address and phone number of the office that serves

your area, or call 1-800-421-3481.


22



Notification of Screening Procedures and Timelines

Grayson County Public Schools has procedures including timelines to document the screening of children enrolled

in the division in accordance with the Code of Virginia, Virginia Department of Education regulations, and Grayson County Public Schools policies and procedures. These procedures and timelines are described below. All children within 60 administrative working days of initial enrollment in a public school shall be screened in the following areas to determine if a formal assessment is indicated:

Speech, voice, and language screenings

PK and K-3 gross and fine motor screenings

Vision and hearing screenings

In addition, within 60 administrative days from the opening of school, all children in grades PK, K, 3, 7, and 10 will receive vision and hearing screenings.

All screenings are confidential and maintained in the student’s cumulative file.

Parents or legal guardians will be notified in writing if their child fails any of the screenings tests. You will not be

notified if the results are within normal ranges. If your child does not pass the screening test, a formal assessment may be necessary. A child study committee will be convened to review records and other performance evidence of those children referred through the initial screening process. Screening for instructional purposes is not an evaluation. Your permission will be needed to conduct any evaluations concerning your child.

Questions concerning the initial screening process or formal assessment referral process should be directed to: The building principal or Douglas R. Lawson, Supervisor of Special Education, Grayson County Public Schools, at (276) 773-2026.

Rev. 7/2012


23



Response To Intervention (RtI): Parent Notification

Response to Intervention (RtI) is viewed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) as a general education process that uses high quality instruction, tiers of interventions and student performance data to help students learn. The primary purposes of RtI are to identify and prevent potential learning problems and to provide additional support for individual student needs. The RtI process encourages parent participation and requires that if a parent or educational professional suspects a disability, a referral for special education evaluation can be made at any time during the process.

VDOE’s guidance document, Responsive Instruction: Refining Our Work of Teaching All Children, defines the

role of the school division and/or building level progress monitoring team as the group responsible for developing a plan that identifies a student’s learning or behavioral problem. The plan should address the amount and duration of services to be provided and the nature of the student performance data that will be collected to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. The specific data collected and services provided as part of general education will vary, as the services will be based on the particular needs of the child, including specific skills being addressed, the age and grade level and the gap between the child’s expected and actual performance.

The document, Responsive Instruction: Refining Our Work of Teaching All Children, suggests that four to

eight weeks of formative assessment data in the areas of concern at each tier of intervention is a reasonable amount of time to intervene. As part of progress monitoring, the team must provide documentation that research-based instruction was used, repeated assessment of achievement at reasonable intervals has been conducted, and student progress data has been systematically collected and analyzed.

If using RtI, to increase the validity and reliability of the data, the instructional interventions should be

conducted with a high level of fidelity. This process should be aligned with the school division’s written policies and procedures concerning instructional interventions and data collection. In addition, if a referral to special education is made and the school division is using RtI in the special education eligibility process, the information collected during the RtI process should be viewed as one of the assessment components. VDOE has developed a supplementary monograph, RtI and the Special Education Eligibility Process: Frequently Asked Questions as a resource to assist schools with the development of local special education policies and practices concerning RtI and the eligibility process.

For more information:

Virginia Department of Education Web site: www.doe.virginia.gov or contact Division of Special Education and

Student Services at 804-225-2932, 1-800-422-2083, Text users dial 711 (Virginia Relay)


24



Early Dismissal Due to Heat

Due to excessive heat it may be necessary for the Superintendent or Superintendent’s designee to close school on

an early dismissal with a release time of 1:00 pm.

Every effort will be made to announce the early dismissal by 6:00 pm the evening before for the following day. A

borderline case might possibly come the day of; however, this possibility should be rare. The Instant Alert

notification system will be used to notify parents of an early dismissal. The information will also be sent to the

following:

WBRF-FM Galax WXII Channel 12 Winston-Salem

WBOB-AM Galax WDBJ Channel 7 Roanoke

WSLQ 99 Roanoke WSLS Channel 10 Roanoke

WMEV Marion WCYB Channel 5 Bristol

WOLD Marion

WKSK West Jefferson


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