General Information

5th – 8th Grade Conferences with Teachers and Counselors

Teachers are available for conferences with parents during team time daily.  Counselors are available for conferences during the school day. 6th-8th grade conferences can be scheduled by calling the Guidance Office secretary (793-3410). 5th grade conferences can be scheduled by contacting the student’s homeroom teacher.

The administration or guidance counselors may call conferences at any time regarding academic or disciplinary reasons.  These conferences may include some or all of the following: parent(s), student, teacher, counselor, administrator, and other staff member.

Confidentiality

  • Student records will be maintained by the school district for use by appropriate district personnel in developing the best possible educational program for each student.
  • Parents or legal guardians of students under eighteen (18) years of age are entitled to inspect the student’s cumulative record.
  • Access to permanent student records is available to authorized school personnel and to the student’s parents or legal guardians in consultation with school officials.
  • The parent is afforded the opportunity through a hearing to challenge the accuracy content of the student’s records.  A student over the age of 18 is given these same rights as the parents.

Dances/ Activity Night

Dances and activity nights at Glens Falls Middle School are restricted to Glens Falls students.  Students must bring their school identification card to get into a dance/activity night.  A student may not attend the dance/ activity night if he or she is absent on the day of the dance/activity night.

No dances/activity night will be scheduled without the approval of the administration.  The following will be in effect at dances/ activity night held at Glens Falls Middle School:

  • Once students enter the building, they must stay.
  • Permission to arrive after the start of the dance needs to be arranged in advance with an administrator.
  • Possession of alcohol and/or drugs will result in disciplinary action according to district drug/alcohol policies.

Chaperones have complete authority to enforce all school and dance/activity night regulations.

Dismissal

Regular dismissal time for students in grades 5-8 is 3:03 PM on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Regular dismissal time on Tuesday and Thursday is 3:33 PM.  Students in good standing will be released at 3:03 PM.

Those students not participating in supervised activities or assigned detention are expected to leave at dismissal. Students wandering about the building unsupervised after 3:15 PM may be subject to disciplinary action.

Emergency Drills

By law, certain drills must be held periodically during the school year.  Among these are bus emergency drills and fire drills.  These are all serious and important practices for handling grave emergencies.  They must be taken in this spirit and total cooperation is expected.  At all times, once a drill is signaled, students must remain alert to directions until the drill is completed.  This requirement will receive the strictest enforcement.  Specific instructions as how to proceed during the various drills will be given at the appropriate times early in the school year.

When the fire alarm is sounded students will move in an orderly fashion to the exit designated for each room.  This information is posted in each classroom.

Students should remain in class groups so that the teacher may call roll to insure that everyone has left the building.  At the close of the drill students will be instructed to return to the building.

Homework

All teachers of 5th and 6th graders will expect their students to utilize the school provided agenda book for homework assignments.  Progressively, over the course of 5th and 6th grades, students will be exposed to, trained in the use of, and fully expected to utilize Google Classroom for the remainder of their middle school experience in 7th and 8th grades.  (Agendas will not be supplied to 7th and 8th graders).  If a child is absent, homework should be available on the teacher’s webpage.  7th and 8th graders can utilize their Chromebooks for homework assignments.  For 5th and 6th graders, if you do not have a computer at home, you may call the guidance department at 793-3410 for a homework request to be picked up at the end of the day.

Homework Hints

  1. HOMEWORK DROP SPOT – Choosing a special Homework Drop Spot at home will help your child develop the habit of always putting completed assignment in the same place each night.  Make sure it is convenient!!!
  2. STUDY AREA – Identify a location at home in which homework will be done.  It should be quiet and well lit with any necessary supplies handy.
  3. HOMEWORK SURVIVAL KIT – A Homework Survival Kit containing supplies necessary for completing homework will help your child avoid being distracted by needing to look for pencils, pens, index cards, paper, glue, a dictionary, etc.
  4. SCHEDULE DAILY HOMEWORK TIME – Decide on a preplanned time set aside for doing homework.  Be firm and let your child know that no other activities will be permitted during this time.
  5. CHILDREN MUST WORK ON THEIR OWN – The purpose of homework is to teach children to follow directions, begin and complete a task, and manage their time.
  6. PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE – Let your child know on a DAILY basis how proud you are of their academic efforts.  This is highly motivating to children.

Extra Help Grades 5 – 8

Teachers are available every Tuesday and Thursday after school to provide extra help as needed for any student and may, if necessary, require students to stay in order to participate in and/or complete a particular lesson.  If a student is assigned on Tuesday or Thursday from 3:03-3:33 PM and fails to stay, this will result in a disciplinary consequence.

Extracurricular Activities Grades 5-8

Students should strongly consider participating in extracurricular activities each school year.  These programs allow each student to select an activity where he or she has a special interest and also provides an opportunity for the student to participate in some areas not typically offered during the regular school day.  The following is a list of some of the opportunities Glens Falls Middle School offers:

Clubs: Student Government, Team Government, Writer’s Club, Yearbook, Ski Club, Strategic Games Club, Reader’s Club, Builder’s Club, Outing Club.

Sports: Football, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Wrestling, Softball, Baseball, Soccer, Cross Country, Basketball, Swimming, Track, 5th/6th intramural sports.

Food and Drink

All food and drink, with the exception of water, is to be consumed in the cafeteria.  No food or drink is to be consumed in the halls unless authorized by the administration.  Students with administrative permission to eat in classes may be restricted as to the type of food permitted.  Coffee, soda and energy drinks are prohibited.

Health Office

If you become ill or injured in school, you must report to the school Health Office.

In addition to giving first aid and assisting students who have accidents or are ill during school hours, the nurse is available to advise students regarding problems, health and hygiene.  The nurse also maintains the students’ health records and is responsible to see that all required medical examinations and inoculations are up-to-date.

If a student is sick, the student must report to the nurse, and she will assess their condition.  If the student is to go home, the nurse will contact the parent(s), make any necessary arrangements, notify the main office/attendance office, and sign the student out of school.

Report athletic injuries to your coach and nurse.  Because of insurance requirements, report these matters promptly.

By New York State regulation, the nurse is prohibited from dispensing any prescribed medication, including aspirin, and may not administer any medical treatment other than first aid and treatment of minor cuts and burns classified as first aid.  Second dressings to out-of-school treated wounds cannot be applied.  If the problem is more than minor, appropriate arrangements will be made and parents will be notified.

All prescription medicines should be brought to the nurse each morning for safekeeping.  The nurse will issue a request slip for the time the student needs to take the medication, and this should be done only at the health office.  This procedure minimizes the chance these drugs will fall into the wrong hands and be abused and insures that the drugs will be administered as prescribed.

It is important the school nurse has up to date telephone numbers at which parent(s) or guardian can be reached.  If parent(s) or guardian(s) plan a trip, be sure to designate, in writing to the school nurse, the person to whom they delegate authority to authorize medical treatment for the child in an emergency.  Remember that for a student’s own protection it is always best when in doubt to report any illness or injury to the health office.  This is especially true in the case of an accident that must be reported at the time of the occurrence for insurance purposes.

Lavatories

Lavatories are intended for use between classes, before advocacy, and during lunch.  They should not be used as a place to socialize or “hang out.”  Students should not normally need to leave classes to use these facilities.

Telephone

A telephone outside of the Main Office is available for student use when it is necessary to contact a parent or legal guardian.  This privilege should not be abused.

Lost and Found

Most of the instructional material, including textbooks and library books, are furnished to the students free of charge.  It is their task to care for these materials and return them at the proper time.  Students have the responsibility to pay for lost, stolen, or damaged school property.  This applies also to school facilities including lockers.  Any lost personal items should be reported to staff immediately.  The lost and found department is located in the health office.

Locks and Lockers

All hall and gym locks will be purchased by Glens Falls City School District and will be issued to new students.  If a student loses their lock they will need to purchase a new one from the guidance office.

Visitors

All parents and visitors to the Middle School must report to the building’s attendance office, where they must sign the “Sign-In Book” and indicate the purpose of their visit.  If an individual fails to sign in they can be prosecuted under law.

Student Visitors

Students from area schools may not visit Glens Falls Middle School unless they are part of a formal student exchange program organized by school officials.  Students from out-of-area schools, who are guests of a Glens Falls Middle School student, may visit classes for only one day.  The student host must obtain permission for the visit from the principal or assistant principal at least one day in advance of the visit.  Consideration will be given to former students and relatives of current Glens Falls Middle School students.  Each request will be considered on its own merits.

Parent Visitors

Parents are invited to the school at any time.  Please sign in at the attendance office if visiting during the school day.  Many have found it interesting and helpful to visit the school during Open House, assembly programs, athletic events, scheduled observation days, PTSA programs, meetings with counselors and teachers, and for public performances of music and drama groups.

Our Library and Our Computer Rooms

Our Middle School houses a Library Information Center on the second floor. Mrs. Myers, our librarian, Mrs. Harris, and Mrs. Satterfield work in this information center to help students appropriately use the library and the computer lab.

Teachers may take students to the computer room each period of the school day. The computer lab is open after school each day from 3:03-3:33 PM for student use and during lab period when the room is available.  Mrs. Satterfield is available to help and supervise students at this time.

The Internet can provide a student with information from any and all parts of the world.  It is our belief that students must be taught to be responsible users of our computers and the World Wide Web.  We need to work to set the high expectations of our students.

Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, a one to one technology policy was implemented in the Glens Falls Middle School.  All students in 7th and 8th grade are assigned Chromebooks to use for the school year. They are expected to take them home every day to complete homework.  Students in 5th and 6th grades will also be assigned their individual Chromebooks, but they will not be allowed to take them home.  They will be stored and charged in school. (See technology policy).

Parents and students are asked to review the computer and network acceptable use policy on the next page of the handbook.  A hard copy will be distributed to each student.  It is signed and given back to the school district.