GENERAL INFORMATION

ANIMALS IN SCHOOL
Students are not permitted to bring pets of any kind to school. With the increase in the number of students with moderate to severe allergies to animals, it is imperative that we protect these students from an allergic reaction.

ASSEMBLIES
Students have the opportunity to opt out of any planned assembly. A structured study environment will be provided for students who choose to opt out of attending an assembly.

BICYCLE RACKS AND RULES
Bike racks are available outside the east entrance. Students riding bikes should provide their own locks. The school cannot assume responsibility for the security of the bikes.

OPEN CAMPUS POLICY
All Douglas County schools, including TRHS, operate as an open campus for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students, as per Board policy. All Douglas County schools, including TRHS, operate as a closed campus for 9th grade students. 9th grade students must stay on the school grounds from the time they arrive until the time they are dismissed. 9th grade students who leave campus without following proper procedure will be considered truant.

COMMUNITY BUILDING USE
ThunderRidge High School is available for public use to the greatest extent possible without infringing on the school programs. Fees will be assessed where necessary to defray the additional costs of public use which should not rightly be borne by the taxpayer at large. Please contact Denine Kysar (denine.kysar@dcsdk12.org or 303.387.0467) for further information.

EARLY ARRIVAL
Parents who drop off their students early in the morning are reminded that there is no supervision provided until 7:15 a.m.

FACULTY SPONSOR POLICY
Before 7:25 a.m. and after 3:00 p.m. all students must be with a supervisor in order to stay at TRHS, except on days of home athletic events for which the coaching staff and administration automatically assumes the necessary sponsorship. Students should prearrange with a faculty member any necessary stay beyond regular school hours.

HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTION
Students who have extended illness or surgery recovery can receive homebound instruction. Two conditions must be met in order to qualify for tutoring:
1. Must be out of school at least two weeks.
2. Must have a statement from the doctor describing the illness and expected date of return.

IDENTIFICATION CARDS
Identification cards will be issued to all students during Student Check In. This card should be carried at all times. ID cards are mandatory for leaving campus, checking out library materials,  textbooks, using school computers, attending athletic events, school dances, and transportation on school busses etc.

INSURANCE
The school does not carry accidental insurance on students. It is the responsibility of the parents or guardian to provide insurance for the student during school hours and during after school activities (including competitive athletics). Douglas County School District DOES NOT carry or provide student or athletic insurance. Board of Education Policy JHA.

LOCKERS AND LOCKS
Each student will be assigned a locker in which to store possessions or school materials checked out to them. The proper use of this locker is expected of each student. Two students will be assigned to each locker.
1. Use only the locker assigned to you and keep it locked at all times.
2. Do not give your combination to another person, take another's combination or tamper with any other locker.
3. Do not store valuable items in your locker.
4. Do not write or mark in or on the lockers. Any damage to the locker and/or the lock should be immediately reported to the Main Office. Students who have damaged lockers will be charged for repair and/or cleaning.
5. A student's locker may be opened for inspection when the school administration believes that it may contain prohibited articles. Also, locker checks may be conducted as determined by the administration in order to dispose of waste materials, recover missing books and other school property, or for other reasons deemed appropriate by the building administration.
6. The use of personally owned locks is prohibited. In the event of an emergency, such as a bomb threat, fire, etc., access to all lockers is important to safety. If a personal lock is placed on a school locker, an administrator has the right to use any method necessary to remove the lock in order to gain access to the school's locker.

LOST AND FOUND
A lost and found service will be operated by the Security Department. Please do not bring articles of value or large sums of money to school.

MEDIA
Because of numerous events at our school, there is the possibility that media (TV, radio, newspaper) coverage could be in our building. A Media Waiver/Internet Publishing form must be on file for all students indicating parental authorization regarding student information to be released to the media.

PARKING
Student parking in a TRHS parking lot is a privilege, not a right. All students who park in school lots are required to purchase and display a TRHS parking sticker. The cost of these stickers is $50 per year or $25 for the second semester only. Parking privileges may be suspended or revoked by school administration at any time. At no time are students to park in the faculty parking lot. Students who park illegally or without a TRHS parking sticker are subject to booting. Boot removal fines may be administered.

POSTER PROCEDURES
All material posted in hallways at TRHS must first be approved and signed by an administrator.

SCHEDULE CHANGES
Schedule changes will be limited due to course prerequisites, staffing and facilities limitations. Should a necessity arise, schedule changes will be made on an individual basis with counseling and administrative approval.

SOLICITATIONS
Students are not allowed to sell any items on campus without prior approval of the administration. In addition, students are not allowed to panhandle/beg for money, etc.

STUDENT BUS BEHAVIOR
The safe transportation of students to and from school is of primary importance. In order for the school bus operator to safely operate the school transportation vehicle, it is essential that the student passengers behave in a controlled manner. Transportation management has as its objective the securing of desirable behavior on the part of the passenger riding the school transportation vehicle. The school transportation vehicle must be looked upon as an extension of the classroom. Students riding the bus must have their ID card on them at all times. Students who wish to ride a different bus must present a written note from their parents to the bus driver to board the bus. Students whose behavior could endanger the safety of others may be excluded from school bus transportation.

STUDENT RECORDS
Student education records usually contain personal data, immunization, academic work completed, attendance data, test scores as well as other pertinent personal data. School records shall be made available to parents and eligible students upon request to the Registrar and in accordance with Board of Education policy JO-R. For a copy of the Student Records Policy or to discuss your rights to access your records, see an administrator.

TEACHER CONTACT TIME
Teachers are available during various periods of the day for parent and student contact. Teachers report at 7:30 a.m. and are available until 3:00 p.m. unless specific arrangements are made. Messages can be left on teachers voice mail or they can be contacted via email. Home telephone numbers for teachers cannot be given to students or parents by the office.

TEXTBOOKS
Students will be issued textbooks with specific barcodes at the beginning of the school year. The student is responsible for returning that specific textbook at the end of the course or at the end of the school year. Failure to return the specific book issued will result in a book fine to the student's account.

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL
ThunderRidge High School welcomes visitors to our school community. In order to avoid undue disruptions to the educational process and maintain the safety of our students and staff, all visitors are required to check in at the security kiosk. All visitors will be required to present a valid driver's license and will be issued a visitor badge which must be visibly displayed while in the building. Because of the disruption often created to the educational process, student visitors are not allowed.

WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL
When withdrawing your student from school, it is important to give the school at least THREE DAY NOTICE. This time is needed so that we can obtain transfer grades for the student to make enrolling in his/her new school easier. The student should pick up a withdrawal card in advance from the counseling office. Parent signature is required. It also allows students to pay any outstanding fines or fees before leaving. Records will be held until all fines are paid