Haverhill High School

Student Handbook
2021-2022

Haverhill High School
137 Monument Street
Haverhill, MA 01832

Principal’s Message

To Haverhill High School Students, Parents, and Guardians:

Welcome to Haverhill High School! I’m thrilled to begin this exciting school year with our new and returning students, and I look forward to working with each one of you to find success on your journey at Haverhill High School during the 2021-22 school year.

Haverhill High School’s mission is to ensure that each learner meets or exceeds rigorous academic standards to become a citizen with the skills necessary to solve problems and meet 21st century academic, social, and civic expectations. Creating a culture that celebrates individual success is imperative for engaging all scholars in accessible, equitable, and meaningful learning experiences. As Hillies, we value inclusivity, achievement, and authentic learning that promotes pride in ourselves and in our community. Our main goal is to ensure that each student develops integrity, motivation, and self-confidence to succeed in the global community. In order to achieve this mission, it is important that we share a commitment to a common set of expectations.

This Student Handbook contains rights, responsibilities, rules, and procedures that govern the operation of Haverhill High School. While this document is intended to be comprehensive, it is difficult to predict every scenario that might arise during a school year. The school administration, faculty, and staff will use their judgment and discretion in the operation of our school, guided by the policies, procedures, and spirit outlined in this handbook. Knowing the contents of the Student Handbook is your responsibility as a student at Haverhill High School. It is crucial that you comply with the safety procedures and academic and behavioral expectations outlined in this handbook. In order to fulfill our mission and the expectations of our school by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of Haverhill, a safe, orderly, and welcoming school environment will be necessary. Creating this environment requires the efforts of every member of our community - our families, staff, faculty, administration and, most importantly, our students.

As we return all Hillie students to school after two years of disrupted learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are focused on ensuring that our students are present at school every day. Attendance is a key indicator of success in high school, graduation, and preparation for life after high school. This means consistently complying with our COVID-19 health and safety measures, getting to school and to every class on time, and reaching out to your teachers immediately if you must be away from class.

Beyond our rich academic offerings, Haverhill High School offers a wide variety of clubs, activities, student leadership organizations, and athletic teams. These extra-curricular opportunities are governed by the rules and procedures outlined in this handbook, and it is expected that all students who participate in these activities comply with the expectations as laid out in the handbook.

I expect you to always try your best, work hard, and get involved in our community. Take advantage of the wonderful opportunities our school has to offer. Meet the expectations of our school, and model what it means to be a Hillie - to be global, responsible, engaged, accepting, and tenacious.

I wish you a school year full of deep learning and engagement. I can’t wait to learn alongside you. Go Hillies!

Sincerely,

[I don’t feel like getting the signature from the PDF. smh.]

Jason Meland
Principal

Core Values

  • global
  • responsible
  • engaged
  • accepting
  • tenacious

we’re great

Expectations for Learning

Academic

  • Students will communicate by listening, writing, and speaking clearly and effectively in a variety of formats.
  • Students will apply critical thinking skills to solve problems that relate to real world application.
  • Students will use technology to research, solve problems, and design presentations, documents, and other products in a legal and ethical fashion.

Social

  • Students will embody the core values at Haverhill High School by being global, responsible, engaged, accepting, and tenacious in our school and community.

Civic

  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of civic responsibilities with a global perspective and in our local community.

Statement on Parent Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to help ensure proper discipline and attendance in the school by:

  1. Reading discipline policy themselves, explaining policy to their child, and acknowledging they have received policy and done so.
  2. Showing interest in their child’s school progress and working with school personnel to solve disciplinary and academic problems.
  3. Getting to know their child’s school, its staff, curriculum, programs, and activities; attending parent teacher conferences and school-parent functions.
  4. Assisting their child in maintaining good health habits and grooming.
  5. Making sure their child goes to school, on time, every day unless their child is ill or has a contagious disease or family emergency.
  6. Following the state attendance law which requires that all persons between the ages of 6 and 16 must be enrolled in an approved education program.
  7. Contacting the school, explaining why their child is absent, and provide absent notes within 5 days or they may not be accepted.
  8. Teaching their child, by word and example, respect for the law, for school, and for the rights and property of others.
  9. Providing their child with the resources needed to complete class work.
  10. Discussing quarterly progress reports, report cards and work assignments with their child.
  11. Providing an updated list of home, work, cell, and additional emergency contacts and telephone numbers for the school.
  12. Notifying school of any medical concerns or special circumstances the school should know about.
  13. Supporting the behavior and academic expectations of the school.
  14. Ensuring that students are properly immunized (per 105 CMR 220.000).

Internet Use Policy

Access to telecommunications will enable students and staff to explore thousands of libraries, databases, and bulletin boards while exchanging messages with people throughout the world. The School Committee believes that the benefits to students and staff from access in the form of information resources and opportunities for collaboration exceed the disadvantages. But ultimately, parents and guardians of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards their children should follow when using media and information sources. To that end, The Haverhill Public School System supports and respects each family’s right to decide whether or not to grant permission for supervised access.

The School Committee authorizes the Superintendent to prepare appropriate procedures for implementing this policy and for reviewing and evaluating its effect on instruction and student achievement. Copies of the Internet Policy are available in the Main Office.

Acceptable Use Policy

  • All use of a school’s HPS Account or email system must be in support of education or research, consistent with the purposes of Haverhill Public Schools.
  • Users shall not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, modify files, other data, or passwords belonging to other users or misrepresent other users on the HPS network.
  • Users shall not share their HPS Account login and password information to peers or colleagues.
  • Hate mail, harassment, discriminatory remarks, and other antisocial behaviors are prohibited on the HPS network/Internet/online systems.
  • Malicious use of the HPS Account to develop programs that harass other users or infiltrate a computer system and/or damage the software components of a computer or computing system is prohibited.
  • Use of the HPS network/Internet to access or produce pornographic material, inappropriate text files, or files dangerous to the integrity of the HPS network is prohibited.
  • HPS network/Internet accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account for the authorized purpose.
  • All communications and information accessible from HPS Accounts should be assumed to be confidential to Haverhill Public Schools and follow all Local, State, and Federal privacy and security guidelines.
  • Any use of the HPS Account for commercial or for-profit purposes is prohibited.
  • Any use of the HPS Account for personal and private business is prohibited, except for use by exclusive union representatives as provided by M.G.L. c. 150E, s. 5A(e).
  • The installation of illegally obtained copyrighted software for use on Haverhill Public School devices is prohibited.
  • Making copies of copyrighted software is prohibited.
  • All HPS email (or any other computer communication system supplied by HPS) should be used only for appropriate, legitimate, and responsible communication.
  • All files/data stored within an HPS Account will be considered property of HPS and may be subject to retention under Local, State, and Federal guidelines.
  • This policy will be reviewed regularly and is subject to change.

Basic Guidelines

  1. Normal procedures at Haverhill High School involve teachers, parents, administrators and other staff members.
  2. All staff members are encouraged and expected to resolve minor conflicts and minor violations of rules when and where they occur.
  3. Except for trivial incidents, parents are to be informed of violations as soon as possible.
  4. Parents are to be informed as soon as a pattern of inappropriate behavior occurs.
  5. All applicable procedures and school rules are in force off school grounds during school sponsored activities.
  6. Each school adult is responsible for bringing misconduct to the attention of students and, if appropriate, parents/guardians. If a conference alone does not or will not resolve the issue, a disciplinary referral will be made.

Detention

  1. Each professional and paraprofessional staff member is authorized to detain students after school. Teacher detention is up to 15 minutes, office detention is 50 minutes.
  2. A detention may be imposed on the day of the infraction if the staff member is satisfied that the student does not have an important prior commitment or transportation problem. Student employment, athletics or other club activities are not acceptable reasons for missing detentions.
  3. In case of such a problem, the detention may be imposed for next school day. The student shares responsibility for informing parents or guardians regarding detention(s).
  4. Parents or guardians are responsible for providing, if necessary, transportation from school.
  5. The duration of each detention is at the reasonable discretion of the staff member (within a 60 minute limit). Office detentions are 50 minutes.
  6. After-school activities or athletics will not be participated in until detentions are served.
  7. Failure to report for detention or arrange for an approved deferral may result in additional detentions or suspension from school.
  8. The second and subsequent incident of a student failing to report for detention or arrange for an approved deferral may result in time in the Educational Responsibility Center, or ERC.
  9. If appropriate, parents will be informed of detentions served or to be served.
  10. Disruption of the detention room may result in a second day of detention or In School Suspension or, if the situation necessitates, Out of School Suspension.
  11. Students may be denied parking privileges until assigned detentions are served.

Student Discipline

Disciplinary Procedures

Suspension

In-School Suspension