Section IV - Academics

Grading Scales:
The grading scales at OBS are as follows:

GRADES 1 & 2
Excellent Work	E	93-100
Very Good	S+	85-92
Satisfactory	S	80-84
Below Average	S-	76-79
Improvement Needed	I	70-75
Unsatisfactory	U	0-69
GRADES 3 - 5
Superior work	A+	98-100
	A	95-97
	A-	93-94
Good Work	B+	90-92
	B	87-89
	B-	85-86
Average Work	C+	82-84
	C	78-81
	C-	76-77
Improvement Needed	D+	74-75
	D	72-73
	D-	70-71
Unsatisfactory Work	F+	65-69
	F	Below 65

Grades expressed by numbers 1 (Excellent), 2 (Satisfactory), 3 (Improvement needed) and 4 (Unsatisfactory) reflect attitude and effort on the report cards.

Report Cards and Progress Reports:
Report cards are issued to K-5 and graders every nine weeks, and interim progress reports (graders only) are sent home at the middle of the marking period. Both progress reports and report cards should be examined by parents, signed, and returned to school within three days. Pre K-3 and Pre K-4 students have their progress evaluated during parental conferences.

Classwork:
Class assignments must be completed and turned in at the designated time. Teachers and/or parents may request that the students maintain a homework notebook in which the student records all assignments. Parents should be certain all homework has been completed and then sign or initial that assignment page.

Homework:
Homework usually consists of: 1) practice for mastery of concepts learned in class, 2) work in any subject not completed during that class, 3) work on a special project, and/or 4) review for a quiz or test to be given the next day. (Remember that all homework is practice ... not instructional.) At no time should it entail long hours of extra work not covered in class, nor be given as a punishment or corrective technique. As a general rule, homework should not exceed the following suggested maximum standards:

              Grades K-1       30 minutes including reading
              Grades 2-3       45 minutes including reading
              Grades 4-5       1 hour including reading

Grade Student Conferences
Before each progress report, a full day (first quarter) or half-day (other quarters) is set aside to conference with parents. Appointments for these conferences, as well as others throughout the year, may be arranged by calling the school office.

Pre K and Kindergarten Conferences
Conferences will be held in November. Subsequent conferences should be coordinated between parent and teacher as the need arises.

Grade Student Conferences:
After each progress report, a fall day (first quarter) or half-day (other quarters) is set aside the following week for parent/teacher conferences. Appointments for these conferences, as well as others throughout the year, may be arranged by calling the school office.

Standardized Testing:
Standardized testing is administered to all graders in May. Results based on national norms will be sent home, and parents may make an appointment to discuss these results with the teacher and/or principal if they wish.

Physical Education Class Requirements
Students must wear tennis shoes in order to participate in P.E. If a student does not have tennis shoes for P.E. class they will not be allowed to participate. Students are required to participate in physical education (P.E.) unless temporarily excused by a parent or guardian with a note from home. If more than three P.E. sessions will be missed, an excuse from a physician is necessary. (P.E. will be held outdoors - weather permitting. Generally speaking, temperatures in the 30's - 40's are reasonable for outdoors, given an acceptable wind chill factor. The P.E. teacher, at his/her discretion, will make a judgment decision daily on whether to go outdoors.)

Section V - Honor Code, Rules of Conduct, and Discipline

Preschool Behavior for K-3 / K-4

1. Minor Offenses (or where applicable for K-5- 5th grade)

   1. Inappropriate Behavior

      • Poor manners
      • Disrespect
      • Incorrect bathroom etiquette
         

   2. Defiant Behavior

      • Not following school/class rules
      • Refusing to cooperate
         

Consequences:  Removal from resources/recess and a note home.

2. Major Offenses

   Dishonesty, Profanity, and/or Defacing Property
   Biting, Hitting, kicking and/or spitting
   Gross disobedience

1. 1st Offense:
1. Note home
2. Sent to Principal
2. 2nd Offense:
1. Note home
2. Sent to Principal
3. Sent home

Based on individual cases, if major offenses continuously happen with little to no improvement, suspension/expulsion from OBS is possible.

OBS reserves the right to send home/suspend/expel anyone who bites and the skin is broken or hurts someone leaving marks, scratches, and/or bruises or results in bleeding.

Grader Discipline/Behavior (Kindergarten - Fifth Grade)


Honor Code - The Honor Code at Orcutt Baptist School is based on strict, personal honesty and integrity. This system assures that each student will fulfill his or her role in the school with a feeling of self-respect and duty. Lying, cheating, stealing, or failing to report those who do, constitute violations of the Honor Code of Orcutt Baptist School.

General Rules of Conduct:
These rules will be consistently enforced by the faculty and staff at all times.

1. Students must always be respectful of the rights, feelings, and property of others as well as the authority of school personnel and student leaders. (OBS accepts no liability for any item brought to school and subsequently is broken, lost, or stolen.)

2. Students must not leave the school property without permission of the principal unless they are with their teachers, parents, or guardians.

3. Students should pass through the halls quietly at all times.

4. Writing and passing notes, tossing objects, playing with irrelevant objects*, and other such disruptive acts are not allowed. Students should NOT bring toys to school except with a teachers permission. Students who bring play items for the Extended Care Program must keep them in their cubbies or book bags during regular school hours.
    
   *Regarding irrelevant objects, the following policy applies: Certain items are inappropriate and should not be brought to school under any circumstances. The most obvious example is that of a real gun, knife, slingshot, or other item that is recognized as a weapon. Further, objects that may resemble a weapon such as a toy water gun, cap gun, pen knife, etc., also fall into this category. Size, color, or material is irrelevant. Even though a toy gun may have an orange barrel cap and a knife may be made of rubber, they send the wrong signal in any school environment. Because of the seriousness of this matter, these objects will be confiscated, and depending upon the circumstances, a probation, suspension and/or expulsion will likely be imposed. The Principal will be the final authority in determining if an item is in violation of this ruling and in administering punishment. If you are unsure about whether an item violates the above policy, please check with the school office BEFORE it is brought to school.

5. Gum chewing and hard candy are strictly forbidden at all times. Discarded gum and candy ruin clothing, carpets and furniture.

6. Horse play is forbidden at all times because it can result in injury.

7. Radios, beepers, tape/CD players, and other electronic listening or toy devices may be brought to school only with the permission of the teacher or principal. Otherwise, they will be confiscated and kept in the school office until a parent picks them up.

Rules of conduct on school vans:
Riding on the OBS van is a privilege, and students allowed to ride will obey the following rules:

1. Arrive at the pick up point several minutes before the van is due to arrive. At home this means waiting at the door or on the porch. Bus schedules do not allow time for the drivers to wait for anyone not ready. They are instructed to honk once and then leave if the child does not appear promptly.

2. Board or exit from the bus only after if has fully stopped.

3. Stay seated at all times while the bus is in motion. On the vans everyone will remain snugly strapped in his/her seat belt until time to disembark.

4. Show courtesy to the driver and other students by sitting calmly and speaking in a conversational tone only to people seated nearby. Say and do nothing that annoys or offends another student. Be certain that your language is never offensive or crude.

5. Keep the bus clean. Pick up all trash.

6. Board the bus only when the driver is present.

7. Refrain from bringing pointed or dangerous objects on the bus. Pencils and pens must be kept in school bags.

8. Remember that only authorized scheduled pick ups or stops are permitted. Friends of students are not allowed to ride the vans for liability reasons.

9. No electronic listening or toy devices are allowed on the vans.

10. No food or drinks are allowed to be open or consumed while riding the vans.

Discipline policy regarding van use:
The following procedure is implemented when students misbehave on the van and will not cooperate with the van driver:

1. Misbehavior will be reported to the principal.

2. The principal may impose a detention after school or other corrective response. (The student will take home a detention notice to be signed before serving the detention).

3. If detention does not deter unacceptable behavior on the bus, the offender may lose his/her privilege of riding the bus for one week or longer. The principal will notify the parents of this penalty if it is imposed.

4. The principal may also choose to impose permanent refusal of bus transportation if all reasonable attempts to modify the students behavior have yielded no positive effect.

General Misbehavior Consequences:

1. Minor Offenses (class disturbance, unprepared for class, copying someone elses homework/classwork, inappropriate materials, unexcused tardy to class etc.):

   • First Offense: Note home to parent from homeroom teacher (must be signed and returned to teacher the following school day).

   • Second Offense: Phone call to parent from homeroom teacher.

   • Third Offense: Sent to Principal phone call home.

   • Fourth Offense: Phone call from Principal and In School Suspensions (ISS). Class work will be completed in ISS and sent to the teacher to be graded.

   • Continuing Offense: Possible Suspension (at-home - zeros on all missed work).
     
     Note: The principal and the teacher will be responsible for establishing after school detention, ISS, and at home suspension.

2. Major Offenses:

   1. Category One (dishonesty, profanity, hitting, biting, kicking, grabbing and/or punching, throwing harmful objects, cheating on tests and/or quizzes, displaying of public affection between students, defacing school or church property, etc.).

      1. ISS or at-home suspension. (Zeros on all missed work if at home suspension)

      2. Classwork will be completed in ISS and turned in to the teacher for a grade.

   2. Category Two (gross disobedience and/or disrespect for faculty or staff personnel, stealing, threats to harm a person, fighting, rebellion, possession or use of tobacco products, malicious tampering or pranks, willful sexual harassment, willful misuse of Internet resources, etc.).

      1. At-home suspension or expulsion.

      2. Zeros on all missed work.

   3. Category Three: (harmful violence to another person. . . to include biting that breaks the skin and incidents that leave bruising or bleeding, willful vandalism of school property, possession or use of alcoholic beverages, sexual immorality, possession or use of weapons, possession or use of controlled substance illegal drugs, etc.).

      • Automatic expulsion.

   * Based on individual cases, if major offenses continuously happen with little to no improvement, suspension/expulsion from OBS possible.

Miscellaneous:

1. Live pets may come for a brief showing and then an immediate return home only if arrangements have been made in advance with the principal. All pets must be on a leash, have all current vaccinations (as applicable) or in a cage and not allowed to run free. Wild pets are never allowed. Since many people are allergic to animal fur and the dust it holds, the teacher or Principal will use his/her discretion regarding whether it is wise for any animal to be brought into the building.

2. At no time should anything valuable such as a good watch, expensive jewelry, or expensive electronic games be brought to school since they might be lost, broken, or stolen

3. The teacher or Principal reserves the right to have the parent take back any items which in their opinion are not suitable to remain at OBS. If a parent has a question about what is acceptable, he/she should ask before allowing the child to arrive with the items.

4. Cell phones brought to school by students are prohibited.

Grievance Procedure:
To avoid misunderstandings and to keep all grievance procedures in a professional order, the School Board has established the following series of steps for parents or teachers who need to officially voice their concerns.

1. If a parent has a concern, he/she will first contact the child's TEACHER.

2. If extensive discussion and follow-up action does not solve the problem, the parents should consult the PRINCIPAL.

3. If the problem cannot be worked out at that level, the parent should contact the ORCUTT BAPTIST SCHOOL BOARD by:

   1. writing a brief description of the problem, and
   2. presenting it to either the Administrative Assistant or the Office Assistant with instructions to give to the OBS Board.

* Please use the above directions when notifying the School Board of a concern.

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