Bicycle racks have been provided on the lawn area at the north and south ends of school. All bicycles must be kept in this area and should be locked.  Bicycles are not to be ridden on the grounds during school hours.  All bicycles are to be walked while on school grounds before, during and after school.  MMS is not responsible for stolen or vandalized bicycles.

 

Skateboards, in-line skates, and scooters are considered modes of transportation, as are bicycles, however, unlike bicycles, they cannot be chained up outside.  Students should not ride these on school property. Students should walk them when passing outside.  The school is not responsible for these above-mentioned items if lost or stolen.

 

 

BUS INFORMATION /   TRANSPORTATION

 

 

 

BUS SAFETY

Students are expected to be at their bus stop before the bus arrives.  Bus drivers have set schedules to follow and will not wait for late arrivals.  Students are to stand a safe distance back from the road as the school bus approaches. 

 

Rushing toward the bus before it comes to a complete stop is extremely dangerous.  Any student who must cross the road to board or exit from the bus shall cross the street in front of the bus at the direction of the bus driver.   Any misconduct at a bus stop will be reported to the proper authorities.

 

To insure the maximum level of safety for all bus students "SKIS” are not permitted to be taken onto the school bus.  Small musical instruments are permitted.  Some larger musical instruments are also permitted.  If the instrument fits in the seat next to the student, it qualifies to be on the bus.  Of critical importance to the bus company is that the instrument remain under the control of the student at all times.  (Instruments on the bus will be at the discretion / decision of School Administration along with the bus company).  Very large instruments which cannot fit on the seat will not be permitted.

 

 

BUS DISCIPLINE

Students will be given a warning on the first offense should infractions occur.  If justified, suspension or detention could take place on the first offense.  For second and subsequent offenses, students will be suspended from using District transportation. Any suspension to continue beyond twenty (20) school days must be approved by the School Board.  Any suspension shall not begin until the next school day following the day notification of suspension is sent to the pupil's parents or legal guardian. (RSA 189:9-a)           

     

If a pupil has been denied the right to ride a school bus for disciplinary reasons, the parents, or guardians of that pupil have the right to appeal within ten (10) days of suspension to the authority that suspended the pupil's right (RSA 189:9a)

 

 

STUDENTS ARRIVING BY CARS

Parents are asked to drop-off and pick-up students at the loop, during bus times, during arrival and dismissal.  This is located west of the main entrance to the school.  Students should not be dropped off in the front entrance of the building when busses are approaching or leaving the school. (7:15-7:35 a.m. and 2:05-2:30 p.m.) Once the busses leave, or when the children have entered the building, parents may then use the driveway to drop-off and pick-up children. 

 

 

BUS PASSES

Students who ride busses are assigned a specific bus to take to and from school.  Any students, walkers included, who need to ride a different bus after school, must have a bus pass.  Bus passes are only given out for emergency situations. Other arrangements should be made for all other reasons.  Parents must either call or send in a note to request a bus pass.   Parents may be contacted to clarify the reasons for the request if a note is sent in.  

 

Boys and Girls Club students must show the driver their Boys and Girls Club ID in order to ride that specific bus.

 

School bus transportation is intended to provide student transportation from home to school and from school to home.  In order to assist families with work conflicts, we make every effort to accommodate transportation to and from child care providers outside the home. School bus transportation is not available to and from play dates, dentist appointments, piano lessons, etc…  The District does not have the resources to provide this type of additional service.

 

 

 

HOMEROOM

The entrance bell will ring at 7:30 a.m.  At this time you should go directly to your locker, collect your things, and then go directly to your assigned homeroom.  When the 7:37 a.m. bell rings you should be seated for opening exercises and announcements.  You should be punctual for morning homeroom, or you may receive a warning or detention from either your teacher or the office. 

 

LOCKERS

Your advisory teacher will assign a locker to you on the first day of school.  From that time on, you are responsible for the proper care and cleanliness of your locker.  All locker doors must be kept closed. Only padlocks made available by the school are allowed on lockers. A $5.00 deposit is required for each hall lock or each P.E. lock.  Please do not leave valuable items such as money, calculators, baseball gloves, electronic items, etc. in your lockers.  The school cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items.  Padlocks are available through the P.E. teachers.  All students will receive a PE lock and locker, however, students should leave valuables with P.E. teachers and not in lockers. We encourage students to keep their locker locked at all times, as there are many students who will use the locker rooms after school hours.  If the lock is lost, the student will pay a $5 replacement fee.

 

Lockers remain the property of the school.  Therefore, the Principal or his designee may open lockers and examine their contents including personal belongings. This inspection may occur when administration has reasonable cause to believe that the contents of the lockers threaten the health, safety, or welfare of the students, or may contain stolen property, etc.  Lockers will be checked for cleaning during school vacations.

 

 

LOST AND FOUND

Lost and found boxes are located in the cafeteria, as well as the PE locker rooms.  Valuables that are found are brought to the main office.   If a student loses something of value, report it to the office right away.

 

 

HEALTH AND WELLNESS /

 SMART SNACKS

The Milford School District has a focus for students that is not only academic, but also on health and wellness.  Students have opportunities to participate in wide variety of activities during the school day and after school, including clubs & sports, walking and running clubs, Girls on the Run, health & wellness fairs, Fuel Up to Play 60, etc.

 

As a part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the District has implemented the Smart Snacks in Schools nutrition standards, which promotes the importance of consuming healthier foods and beverages.  The District encourages parents to continue with this vision by providing healthy options for classroom celebrations – recommending low-fat, low-sugar options such as fruits & veggies or popcorn, or non-food items that are popular with students.

 

A typical year of holidays & birthday celebrations can mean a number of unhealthy food & beverage opportunities for children, which can add up quickly.  The District asks parents for help in creating new traditions for celebrations that focus on healthier snack options and non-food items.  A good reference tool for healthy snacks is the “A-List” published by the John Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition out of Massachusetts, which includes an analysis of a wide variety of snacks and beverages.  That list can be found at http://www.johnstalkerinstitute.org/alist/. 

 

 

GUIDELINES TO PUPIL APPEARANCE AND DRESS

 

All students are expected to be neat and clean and to be dressed in clothing appropriate for school.  Dress or appearance disruptive to an orderly learning process will not be tolerated, and students who do not conform may be sent home after parents are contacted.  All students must wear appropriate footwear, which is not dangerous or harmful.  Parents should avoid the purchase of black- soled hiking boots since certain types do mar floor surfaces.  Bedroom attire and slippers should not be worn during the school day.  Students may not wear hats in the building.   There may be certain instances in which students may be allowed to wear hats as approved on an individual basis by the administration. 

 

       Student attire and grooming should not interfere with safe participation in curriculum areas such as industrial arts, labs or any other activity where reasonable precautions are dictated.   Students are required to have non-marking sneakers and bring a change of clothes for physical education class.

 

NOTE: Students are prohibited from wearing the following:

1. Any apparel which advertises alcohol or tobacco or otherwise promotes the use of illegal substances.
2.  Apparel with "double meanings", which are inappropriate for school wear such as concert t-shirts depicting illegal or anti-social behavior and buttons or pins with profane or vulgar words.
3. Shirts: Any shirt worn needs to cover underwear. Necklines of shirts should provide thorough coverage of the chest area.   All shirts are allowed as long as they have straps.  Straps can be any width as long as they cover underwear.
4. Students wearing basketball shirts, which are low cut under the armpits, must also wear a t-shirt underneath.
5. Shorts and skirts: Underwear should not be visible at any time.  The stomach and waist area should also not be visible.  The length of shorts and skirts should be modest and provide appropriate coverage when standing, walking, or sitting.  The length should be approximately mid-thigh.  Short shorts and mini-skirts are not appropriate for school.
6. Students should dress comfortably during the school day.  Items of clothing reserved for outdoors should not been worn indoor unless a student is uncomfortable with the temperature in the room or a request has been approved by school administration.  Clothing should be modest and non-offensive.

Appropriateness of the above items will be at the discretion of the Administration.  In all cases, the age and physical development of the student will be taken into consideration when considering possible violations of these guidelines. The administration will issue additional directives on inappropriate apparel as the need arises.

 

If student clothing is deemed inappropriate, students will be asked to change. Should a problem arise, parents should be prepared to bring in appropriate clothing.  If a parent is unreachable and a change of clothing cannot be found, the student may have to remain in the office for the day.  Parents are urged to assist the school in monitoring the clothing  students wear to school.  Ongoing violations of dress code may result in disciplinary action. Refusal to change clothing will result in suspension. Our goal is to provide an environment conducive to learning and healthy socialization.  When clothing becomes a distraction to students or staff, then we are not working toward that goal.  We must strive to maintain an appropriate educational environment.  The enforcement of the above regulations is at the discretion / interpretation of the school administration.

 

 

GENERAL PROCEDURES AND REGULATIONS CANCELLATION OF SCHOOL-DELAYED OPENING

The Milford School District has issued the following procedure in the event of inclement weather. If conditions are bad at 6:00 a.m. a delayed school opening will be announced on the following radio stations:

 

WBZ                       BOSTON, MA                  1030 AM

WCVB-TV              BOSTON, MA                   CH.  5

WSMN                   NASHUA, NH                   1090 AM

WHOB                   NASHUA, NH                   106.3 FM

WGIR                     MANCHESTER, NH          610 AM

WZID                     MANCHESTER, NH          95.7 FM

WNNH                  CONCORD, NH                 99 FM

WMUR-TV            MANCHESTER, NH          CH  9

 

If conditions remain inclement by 8:00 a.m. the "NO SCHOOL" announcement will be made over the same radio stations before 9:00 a.m. and the use of the fire whistle for Milford residents.

  

 

 

EMERGENCY/ FIRE DRILL PROCEDURES

You should consider the fire alarm signal a real emergency.  The signal calls for immediate evacuation from the building by all persons.  In some cases, the intercom will be used to call for an evacuation or other command.  Students are to leave in an orderly fashion with their teachers.    Teachers will direct students as to outside procedures during an emergency evacuation.  Students should remain quiet and with their teacher at all times.  In preparation for emergencies, fire exit maps are posted in all rooms.  Teachers will review evacuation procedures with their students.    When the alarm goes off, or other commands are given, follow emergency procedures.

 

 

LOCK DOWN DRILL / PROCEDURE

Students need to respond quickly and calmly when they hear a school wide announcement for a LOCK DOWN.  Students in the hallways need to go to the nearest room with a  teacher / staff member and stay there until the drill is over.  Students in class or in an otherwise supervised area need to remain calm and follow the instruction given by staff quickly and in an orderly fashion.

 

 

TEXTBOOKS

All basic hardbound texts are loaned to students for their use during the school year.  Textbooks are to be kept covered and handled carefully.  The office will collect all funds from students as a result of lost or damaged books and/or materials.  Final Report Cards will be withheld and not issued if lost and or damaged books have not been either returned or paid for. 

 

 

TELEPHONES / CELL PHONES

The office telephone is available for students to use with office permission. Although students are permitted to have cell phones in their possession, cell phones are to remain off while school is in session (7:30 am to 2:10 pm).  If a cell phone and / or smartwatch are being used in any manner, or become disruptive in class, then the phone and / or smartwatch will be held by the main office.  

 

If a student has their phone on and it is obvious then the staff shall first remind the student of the general school rule and then ask them to turn off their phone in accordance with the rule.  If a student continually leaves his/her cell phone on during the school day and becomes a distraction or disruption in class, then the phone may be held in the main office as well.  

 

Ongoing violations may result in loss of cell phone privileges at school and disciplinary action. 

 

1^st Offense:   Warning given / Parent may be notified

2^nd Offense:  Detention given / Parent notified

3^rd Offense:   Detention given / Loss of cell phone privileges for the remainder of the school year

  

Once a student has lost cell phone privileges for the year, any additional violations will be seen as a failure to obey school rules and will result in suspensions.  The school is not responsible for lost or stolen cell phones.

  

 

MARKING SYSTEM / REPORT CARDS

Report cards are issued on a quarter basis.  Parents can access report cards through Powerschool. The report card represents the teacher's evaluation of student progress in each major subject area as indicated by the following grades:

 

A  =  100  -  90             B  =  89   -  80            C  =  79   -  70              D  =  69  -  60            F  =  59   -   0

 

 

Report cards will be issued quarterly the week after grades close.  The final report card will be mailed in June.

 

 

HONOR ROLL

Honor Roll is issued for the following grades in all subjects including Unified Arts:

High Honors:      All A’s

Honors:                All A’s and B’s

 

MMS HOMEWORK GUIDELINES

The Milford Middle School asserts that homework relates directly to the purpose of schools and schooling and is therefore an important part of a child's educational experience. 

 

Meaningful homework assignments are those that emphasize quality rather than quantity; that relate to and enrich the curriculum, thereby, extending academic learning time beyond the school day; that provide teachers with additional opportunities to monitor progress, diagnose instructional needs and deliver corrective feedback to students; that give students practice in developing independent learning skills; and that are reasonable in length, appropriate for the learner, and purposeful in nature.

 

See the Homework Policy 3555 for additional information.

 

 

MMS General Guidelines for Homework:                                                                                          

Teacher Guidelines:

• Homework assignment expectations shall be clearly presented and teachers shall check for student understanding.
• All homework shall be in accordance with the Milford School District’s policy on Homework
• Teams shall coordinate assignments to eliminate multiple assignments due at the same time as well as coordinating long term assignments / projects. 
• Daily homework shall not require students to have to access materials not readily available in most homes, school or public libraries.
• Homework completion expectations shall be reasonable and teachers shall ensure reasonable make-up procedures for legitimate personal circumstances of students.
• Assign homework assignments that students can complete independently.  Carefully constructed as to be completed within reasonable time allotment and with minimal adult help.
• Will encourage students to write down their assignments in their agenda books daily.

 

Student Guidelines:

• Write down their assignments utilizing and maintaining their Assignment Agenda books daily
• Check homework via Google Classroom
• Utilize the student portal of PowerSchool to monitor student assignments and grades
• Do all assignments on time and to the best of their ability
• Examine their daily schedules and with their parent’s assistance to set aside time to do homework nightly.
• Ask for help when needed by seeking out and making arrangements to work with teachers
• Ask teachers for assignments missed when absent from class.  Meet with teachers to establish a timeline for make-up work completion.   
• Attend the afterschool Homework Help to receive assistance in homework if needed. 
• Visit the school library afterschool to research or use the computers if needed. 

 

Parent Guidelines:

• Provide a quiet study space for students to complete their homework free from distractions
• Work with their child to review schedules to allow a (consistent) homework time nightly
• Monitor the student’s Assignment Agenda book to make sure that the student is utilizing it appropriately
• Review completed assignments with their child
• Utilize the parent portal of PowerSchool to monitor student assignments and grades
• Contact teachers directly and encourage their child to seek help when the student is having difficulty with an assignment or when extenuating circumstances prevent homework from being completed.
• Contact Student Services for Team or individual teacher meetings if necessary to assist in homework completion or assistance. 

 

Administrator Guidelines:

• Assist students, parents, and teachers in following the Middle School Homework guidelines and Milford School District policy on homework.
• Provide Assignment Agenda books to every student to assist in organizing and completing daily homework assignments. 
• Review and monitor all teachers’ homework guidelines and make appropriate recommendations to teachers.
• Ensure that copies of all individual or team homework guidelines are given to students and parents, on the school’s website and on file in the guidance office. 

 

The time necessary for homework completion differs from student to student.  Teachers, students and parents should work together to ensure that students are not regularly spending significantly more or less time completing their homework. 

 

The following times may be used as a general guideline for homework completion; 

                6^th Grade: Half hour to 1 hour per night

    (Total time from all teachers)

7^th Grade: 1 hour to 1 ½ hours per night

                    (Total time from all teachers)

                8^th Grade: 1 to 2 hours per night

    (Total time from all teachers)

 

 

SCHOOL ISSUED ELECTRONIC DEVICES

(Chromebooks)

Students at MMS are issued personal electronic devices for use at both school and home. Chromebooks are the current device of choice due to their ease of use and ability for the school district to control and monitor their use. Families are responsible for the devices and are encouraged to purchase the

insurance to protect against accidental damage to the device. Here are the current costs for damages to the Chromebooks:

• • Entire Chromebook - $200.00
  • Motherboard - $100.00
  • Keyboard and Touchpad - $50.00 (or $25.00 for each separately)
  • Screen - $40.00
  • Charger - $20.00
  • Battery - $38.00

Chromebooks are by no means a replacement for quality curriculum and instruction. They are a tool to be used by teachers and students to enhance the learning experience offered at MMS. Teachers will often build Chromebook use into their lesson plans so it is important for students to bring their device to school each day and to ensure that it is fully charged for the day. A fully charged Chromebook should last for the entire school day. MMS cannot guarantee that extra chargers or devices will be available should a student’s device runs out of power or if the device is forgotten at home.

 

 

POWERSCHOOL ACCESS TO GRADES

We are at the point where we can provide real-time access to your student's current grades and attendance through the internet using our PowerSchool student information system's Parent Portal feature.

To access the parent portal, you will need the website location:

 

https://students.milfordschools.net/public/

 

To access this student's information, use the following:

Confidential ID and Password

(provided to each parent and student)

If you have internet access at home or at work you can view the information on your student at any time. If you do not yet have internet access you may still contact the teacher or the student's counselor to receive your student's report.  Please keep your passwords confidential so only you can access the information.  If you have any questions on this or need your password in the future, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 673-5221.

 

 

HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE

A Homework Club is offered to students to provide assistance to them when doing their homework.  All students who have work to complete are welcome to attend the Homework Club any days they would like.  The club meets 4 days a week (Monday through Thursday) from 2:15-3:15.  Assistance is offered by two Middle School Teachers. 

 

 

DROPPING / ADDING CLASSES

Parents should provide written requests to drop or add classes.  Several factors will be considered when approving these requests.  Requests for band / chorus / studies should be submitted within the first 2 weeks of a trimester change. 

 

 

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE

Teachers are available for conferences by appointment.  If you wish to set up a conference, please contact the teacher by telephone, email or note.  Parents may also contact Student Services at extension #1511 to set up a conference.  Teachers have various times during the day when a conference may be held.  Please be specific as to who you would like to have attend the conference.  Parent-Teacher conferences are also offered to and scheduled for parents during one week in November and on the Monday of Thanksgiving Week break. 

 

 

WEBSITE INFORMATION

 

The school webpage contains information about events and activities. The District website address is www.milfordk12.org.  The Middle School webpage can be accessed through the district site.  New student registration forms, athletic forms, and school related materials may be found on the site.

 

 

BI-WEEKLY NOTICES

Bi-Weekly notices are now sent home electronically through an email distribution list.  Parents are asked to provide their current email addresses to the main office at the beginning of the school year.  Our distribution list is not shared with any other group or organization.  

 

The bi-weekly notices are also posted weekly on the middle school’s website for parents to download at their convenience.  Parents that do not have access to a computer or email may have their child stop by the main office for a copy of the notices or may stop by the main office during normal business hours to pick up a copy. 

 

VISITORS

All visitors are required to buzz into the building and then sign in with the school secretary in the main office upon arrival.  All visitors must sign out when departing as well.