Student Code of Conduct

Quick Reminders

Reminders:

Student ID Badges. We are asking students to wear their badges during the school day. They will need to use their badges for breakfast, lunch, hall passes, and bus transportation.
If a student is given a discipline referral for pantsing (pulling another students pants down), the student will receive 15 points and 2 days of ISS.

Dress Code

Tops that reveal a student's midriff are not allowed to be worn. Please make sure that all tops cover the torso area.
The length of skirts, dresses, shorts, and holes in jeans/pants must be a minimum of 5 inches from the knee. Students may wear clothing items underneath to cover holes in pants that are above the 5 inch minimum. However, students cannot place paper, index cards, or duct tape to cover the holes out of dress code.
The following cannot be worn inside the school building: hats, hoods, caps, other headwear (bonnets, bandanas, shower caps, ears, masks), or sunglasses.
Pajamas are not to be worn unless it is a designated dress up day.
Students are prohibited from wearing attire that depicts or promotes violence, alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. Apparel featuring weapons, regardless of context, is also prohibited.

The grading system: A (100-90) B (89-80) C (79-70) D (69-60) F (59-0)

See board policy 4.600

Student Code of Conduct

Each student has the right to:

Have the opportunity for a free education in the most appropriate learning environment;

Be secure in his/her person, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizure;

Be educated in a safe and secure environment;

Have appropriate resources and opportunities for learning;

Not be discriminated against on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, religion, national origin or disabilities; and

Be fully informed of school rules and regulations.

Each student has the responsibility to:

Know and adhere to reasonable rules and regulations established by the Board and school officials

Respect the human dignity and worth of every other individual;

Refrain from libel, slanderous remarks, and obscenity in verbal and written expression;

Study and maintain the best possible level of academic achievement;

Be punctual and present in the regular school program;

Dress and groom in a manner that meets reasonable standards of health, cleanliness, modesty and safety;

Maintain and/or improve the school environment, preserve school and private property, and exercise care while using school facilities;

Refrain from behavior which would lead to physical or emotional harm or disrupts the educational process;

Respect the authority of school administrators, teachers and other authorized personnel in maintaining discipline in the school and at school-sponsored activities;

Obey the law and school rules as to the possession or the use of alcohol, illegal drugs and other unauthorized substances or materials; and

Possess on school grounds only those materials which are acceptable under the law and accept the consequences for articles stored in one’s locker.

CCBOE Policy 6.301

Points Accumulation

Infraction Points Accumulation:

Disciplinary infractions may/will result in an accumulation of disciplinary points which will be restarted at the beginning of each quarter.

Students who accumulate disciplinary points may be subject to In-School Suspension (ISS) or Out-of-School Suspension (OSS). Parents and students may use one point reduction (up to a maximum of 10 points) per semester.

Students who accumulate disciplinary points may be subject to In-School Suspension (ISS) or Out-of-School Suspension (OSS) accompanied by Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons. As an alternative, students may choose to complete a one-week school service project or parent meeting and class participation with SEL lessons. Once a point reduction option is selected, the student may only choose ISS/OSS with SEL lessons for the remainder of the semester if further disciplinary points are accumulated.

Below are the disciplinary measures that may/will be issued to students based upon point accumulation.

30 Points: Minimum 1 Day of In School Suspension (ISS)
40 Points: Minimum 2 Days of In School Suspension (ISS)
A parent meeting will be called, and the student will be placed on a behavior plan/contract

50 Points: Minimum 2 Days of In School Suspension (ISS)
Student will be referred to Centerstone or another Counseling Service

60 Points: Minimum 1 Day of Out of School Suspension (OSS)
Parent is required to bring student to school after length of suspension for meeting with teachers and administration.
May result in guardian attending the school day with student

70 Points: Minimum 3 Days of Out of School Suspension (OSS)
Parent is required to bring student to school after length of suspension for meeting with teachers and administration

80 Points: Minimum 5 Days of Out of School Suspension (OSS)
Parent is required to bring student to school after length of suspension for meeting with teachers and administration

90 Points: Minimum 5 Days of Out of School Suspension (OSS)
Student will be referred to the Student Disciplinary Hearing Authority (SDHA)

Disciplinary points in excess of 120 points in a semester may result in referral to Student Disciplinary Hearing Authority (SDHA)

Discipline Procedures

At Cheatham Middle School we use a tiered approach to behavior and consequences.

Behaviors are broken into 2 main categories for our discipline model.

Minor Infractions: the teacher will complete a referral that will be given 5-10 points by administration depending on the severity of the infraction.

Major Infractions: the teacher will complete a referral that will be given 15-20 points by administration depending on the severity of the infraction.

The following are the infractions included but not limited to each category.

Minor Infractions (5-10 points)

Cell Phone

Dress Code

Bullying

Defiance

Disrespect

Disruption

Inappropriate Language

Minor Property Damage/Misuse

Misuse of Technology

Physical Contact/Aggression

Major Infractions (15-20 points)

Bullying/Harassment (Verbal, Sexual, Race, Religion)

Disrespect (Blatant or Excessive, Defiance, Insubordination, Cheating, Ongoing Pattern)

Disruption (Yelling excessively, Pattern of Teacher not being able to teach or students learn, excessive tardy)

Property Damage/Misuse (Excessive, Permanent, Vandalism, Theft)

Physical Contact (Fighting, Inappropriate Physical Contact, Intent to Harm)

Technology Violation (Inappropriate Websites)

Use/Possession of Tobacco/Vape, Drugs, Weapons

**Please refer to the No Vaping section of the School Norms, for further consequences**

Zero Tolerance & Major Offenses

Weapons, Drugs, Alcohol, Verbal or Electronic Threats, and Assault on an employee

Cell Phones

Students will be asked to leave cell phones and other communicating devices in their locker through the school day.

Lockers do not come with a lock to secure individual items. A combination lock can be used to secure the locker. The student must provide the teacher with the combination prior to use.

Cheatham County School Policy:

One of the Cheatham County School District’s goals is to create a welcoming, safe, and focused learning environment for students, and the best possible conditions for staff to support students.

Student cell phone use at school has been identified as a tremendous detriment to meeting that goal. Today’s youth battle constant distractions caused by cell phone alerts and messaging that interrupt their ability to focus, which creates a negative impact on school culture and learning.

Therefore, we wish to inform our students, parents and staff about our expectations regarding cell phones for the 2024-2025 school year.

Cell phones shall not be on a student’s person while in class. Schools may choose to meet this requirement in the following ways:

Students will be required to keep their cell phones in their lockers during the school day.
Students will turn their phones off and place them into a teacher-approved storage compartment upon entering class. The phones will remain in the compartment throughout the duration of class.

Additional restrictions may be implemented at each school.

We encourage students not to bring cell phones to school and we will not be responsible for the personal cell phone of a student.

Should a parent and/or guardian need to contact a student during the school day, they should call the school office.

Parents and/or guardians, we need your support in helping your child/children understand that being without their phone during the day has benefits to the learning environment and their overall academic success. Data also shows that limiting cell phone use can have positive benefits on student behavior, student mental health, and overall school safety.

We appreciate your cooperation and support as we enforce our policy to create a more focused and productive learning environment for our students. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your school administration.

**Electronic devices will not be returned to students at the end of the school day, parents/guardians are required to pick up the device. If the device is taken up at 2:00 pm or later the student will receive the device.