Handbook

Inspired by a legacy of excellence and a commitment to students, Arden Middle School ensures every student will achieve academic success and value social responsibility by providing and celebrating the Arden Experience of dynamic, progressive learning, enriching opportunities and meaningful staff-student connections.

Tardiness interferes with the learning process for all students. Students must be in class, seated, with all their materials before the bell rings, or they are tardy. Tardies automatically take a merit from the student. 

In ONE class period: 

• 1st Tardy will result in a warning
• 2nd Tardy will result in a warning
• 3rd Tardy will result in an email/call home to parents/guardians
• 4th Tardy will result in lunch detention
• 5th Tardy will result in lunch detention and another call/email home to parents/guardians
• 6th Tardy will result in community service
• 7th Tardy is deemed "habitually tardy" and will result in loss of passing periods

Arden’s cafeteria is open for breakfast from 7:20 to 7:50 A.M. We encourage students to arrive on campus no later than 7:40 A.M. Students arriving after 8:00 A.M. are late. They should go directly to class before 8:10, after which they must check in at the office to get a pass to class before going to class. Students must leave the school grounds within 20 minutes of dismissal time unless they are part of a specific supervised activity.

Students needing to be excused early for a doctor, dental, or other legitimate appointment should bring a note to the office before school.  They will be given an early dismissal slip to show to the teacher of the class from which they will leave. They must report to the office before leaving campus. Parent/guardian will sign the checkout sheet.

Like all SJUSD middle schools, Arden maintains a closed campus. Once students arrive at school, they CANNOT leave the school grounds at any time unless given permission from the school office. This includes before school starts or after school, before the start of an after-school activity.

Cell phones are allowed to be used: before/after school, during passing periods, and at lunch. Cell phones must be turned off and put in a backpack during classes.

Consequences for violating this policy:

• 1st and 2nd Infraction: Verbal Warning
• 3rd Infraction: Lunch Detention
• 4th Infraction: Parent Contact by teacher
• 5th Infraction: Community Service
• 6th Infraction: Parent/Student/Admin Meeting

Arden is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged cell phones. Please secure them at all times.

VISITORS

All visitors must report to the office to sign in and request a visitor’s pass before going to any area of the campus. Parents/guardians are welcome to visit classrooms if arrangements are made 24 hours in advance.

STUDENT DELIVERIES

Lunches, PE clothes, and all other deliveries to students must come through the office. Arden does NOT allow or accept food deliveries from paid delivery services such as Doordash, GrubHub, Uber Eats or any other vendor delivery  service.

MEDICAL NOTE FOR P.E. CLASSES

• Short Term: Students may be excused from participating in P.E. by a parent’s note for up to 5 days (students are still required to dress down).
• Long Term:  A doctor's written request is required to excuse a student from P.E. for longer than 5 days.
• Extended:  For extended illness or injury of 6 weeks or more, a student may be referred to Adaptive P.E., which meets the specific needs of the illness or injury. Such a referral requires doctor's approval.

MEDICATION AT SCHOOL
Arden follows the SJUSD policy regarding a student taking medication at school:

“A designated school employee may administer medication during school hours only upon written request of both the physician and parent(s) or guardian, detailing the method, amount, and time the medication is to be taken. Medications must be brought to the school office in their original container. Medication will be administered only to students whose parent and physician deem it necessary for potentially life-threatening medical conditions or for those who need medication administered during the school day in order to interact appropriately at school.”

The medication form that needs to be filled out by a physician is available in the office. Medication, prescribed or otherwise, will not be dispensed to students without proper authorization as described above.

Students riding bicycles/skateboards to school are responsible for adhering to traffic regulations and safe riding practices. They are not to be ridden on campus. Bikes/skateboards are to be locked in the racks. It is not safe to leave them overnight.

Arden is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. It is important that each student has his/her name on all clothing, books, and personal property. If items are found, students should take them to a teacher or the office. Students may check for lost item in the front office or at the “lost and found” section in the main hall.  Lost and found items will be donated at the end of each quarter.

Student body I.D. cards are issued to each student at the beginning of the school year.  Replacement cards can be purchased for a $2 fee.

Academic and behavioral excellence is encouraged, promoted, and recognized. Arden's “ROAR” program is a positive behavior recognition program that encourages students to consistently demonstrate Arden's core values (Respectful, On Task, Accountable, and Responsible). Teachers reward students with ROAR bucks, which the students can use to earn privileges and enter weekly and quarterly drawings for fun prizes. At the end of the school year many students receive recognition for outstanding work in their classes, as well as for academic accomplishments, participating in extra-curricular activities, and exhibiting exemplary citizenship.

It is our hope that every student will participate in as many extra-curricular activities as possible, as these events give students a complete middle school experience. Regular school rules are in effect at all events. Students must attend school the day of the activity to participate in that evening’s event.

DANCES

Only Arden Middle School students can attend school dances. Parent permission slips are required for all dances. Once a student enters the dance and receives a wristband, he/she is required to follow all dance guidelines and stay until it is over. If a student does not follow the rules, the student’s parent/guardian will be called to escort the student home.

Every Arden student begins each quarter with 100 merits. Students must have at least 90 merits to attend extra-curricular events such as dances, WEB socials, Skate Night, some field trips, and end-of–the-year events.

Students lose merits for these reasons:

• Tardies to class
• Lunch detention
• Community service
• Cutting class
• Suspension

*If a student does not attend their assigned lunch detention, he/she is assigned an additional lunch detention, and loses additional merits for not attending. If a student skips more than one lunch detention, he/she is assigned community service. Students can earn merits back!  If students wish to earn merits back, they may sign up for Community Service and earn back 2 merits. Students may do this twice a quarter to earn back a total of 4 merits.

LUNCH DETENTION

Lunch detention may be assigned as a consequence for an offense.  Failure to report to an assigned lunch detention will result in additional consequences. Questions and concerns may be addressed directly to the staff member who issued the detention.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Community service can be assigned as a consequence and is held for 1 hour after school on Thursdays. Failure to report to an assigned community service will result in additional consequences. Requests to reschedule community service must be made by a parent in advance of the assigned community service date.

Your work in class must be original, or it will not receive credit.  Below are some examples of plagiarism:

• If you copy someone else’s work and turn it in as your own, you have plagiarized. 
• If you turn in a paper that makes use of someone else’s ideas, without citing them properly, you have plagiarized. 
• If you took someone else’s ideas and reworded them without a citation, you have plagiarized. 
• If you turn in the same work for two different classes, you have plagiarized, because you are not turning in original work. 
• If you work with a partner, when an assignment asked for individual work, you have plagiarized. 

  Below are some examples of cheating:

• If you use any notes or aids on tests that have not been approved by your teacher, you have cheated.
• If you allow someone to copy your assignment, you have cheated.
• If you complete work for another student, you have cheated.

  The penalties for assignments that have violated the originality policy are below:

• 1st Offense for cheating or plagiarism 
  • Re-do for partial credit
  • Teacher notifies family
  • Teachers may use their discretion in making changes to effort/citizenship grades
• 2nd Offense for cheating or plagiarism
  • Zero credit on assignment
  • Teacher notifies family of the referral to the office for detention 
  • Teachers may use their discretion in making changes to effort/citizenship grades
• 3rd Offense for cheating or plagiarism
  • Earned “F” as quarter grade
  • Teacher notifies family of the referral to the office for Community Service
  • Teachers may use their discretion in making changes to effort/citizenship grades

Arden Middle School follows the San Juan Unified School District dress code. Please visit the district website for more information.