School Policies

Dear Student and Parent/Guardian, 

This handbook is intended to explain general expectations and policies. We look forward to a rewarding experience for you and your student. 

We Believe: 

• Everyone can learn.
• Every person has value and deserves to be treated with respect.
• There is strength in diversity.
• Positive human interaction fosters viable communities.
• We believe that one-size education program does not fit everyone. 

Our Mission Statement: 

• To provide the highest quality of professional learning, promote innovative learning opportunities, and serve as an advocate for students matriculating in nontraditional settings throughout Colorado

If you need any clarification or further information, please contact our office. Any questions regarding policy and procedures can also be emailed to the administration.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Joan Bludorn

Principal

Joan.bludorn@bvsd.org

Safe2Tell is designed to help YOU.

Students, teachers & parents may anonymously report anything that is scaring or endangering you, your friends, or your family. You don't need to be afraid to call. You never have to give your name. In fact, Colorado State Law guarantees that you will remain unknown if you choose [COLORADO REVISED STATUTE 16-15.7-101]. We want to make our schools and communities safer by focusing on prevention. So if you've seen something suspicious, been bullied, felt threatened, or noticed that a friend needs help, call us and make a difference before something bad happens.

Safe-2-tell 1-877-542-safe (7233)

www.safe2tell.org

Students may park and gain access to the building via the RTD,  Boulder TEC Shuttle buses leaving from various schools or their own vehicle. 

• Student parking is located West of the Arapahoe Campus Building.
• Vehicles parked in no parking zones, staff, reserved, visitor, or handicapped parking are subject to being towed. 
• Habitually violating the parking policy will result in loss of parking privileges on campus.
• Reckless driving will also result in loss of these privileges. 
• Additional discipline may also be invoked for parking and driving violations, as well as police involvement. 

For the safety and security of everyone, students are responsible for having their Student ID on their person while on campus. They will present it any time they enter the building.

• Replacement badges will cost $10.00.

Attendance - State of Colorado Compulsory Attendance laws apply to online students. 

If a student has the equivalent of four unexcused days of absences from school in any one month or 10 unexcused days of  absences during a school year, the student is in violation of the Colorado School Attendance Law and District Policy (JH and JH-R), therefore, the district may commence disciplinary and/or legal action.

Our goal is to provide a safe and successful environment for your child.

Research on Effective Schools states that if children feel safe at school they are productive and successful. Please review the 2022-23 Student Rights and Responsibilities so that you understand the district’s behavioral expectations and the consequences for failure to meet those expectations. 

While on school grounds, in school facilities, in school vehicles, or at school-sponsored activities, students shall comply with all policies and regulations pertaining to student conduct. Specifically:

• Student conduct shall at all times reflect consideration for the rights and privileges of others; cooperation with all members of the school community is required. 
• Students shall maintain high personal standards of courtesy, decency, morality, and honesty in their relationship with others.
• Students shall respect the authority of school staff and officials. This includes compliance with school regulations, district policies, and Colorado law.
• Diligence in study and achievement commensurate with ability is expected of all students. Respect for scholarship should be encouraged and scholastic integrity shall be maintained. Students are expected to be prompt and regular in their attendance of school and classes and are responsible for work missed due to excused or unexcused tardiness or absence. 
• No student shall engage in or encourage behavior which poses a clear and convincing threat of disruption of the school operations.
• No student shall engage in or encourage behavior which is detrimental to the welfare or safety of students, teachers, or school personnel on or off school property.
• Students shall not use, bring, carry, possess, buy, sell, or exchange alcohol, narcotics, or other dangerous or restricted drugs or controlled substances. 
• No student shall use, possess, bring, or carry any dangerous weapon of any kind or a knife of any blade length on school property, in school-approved vehicles, or at school-sponsored activities without prior permission of the school principal or designee or the Superintendent or designee. 
• Students shall not cause or attempt to cause damage to school or private property, nor steal or attempt to steal school or private property. 
• No student shall engage in bullying behavior in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, at a designated school bus stop, or at school activities or sanctioned events.

Violations of Colorado law, district or school rules of conduct will result in disciplinary action, which may include suspension or expulsion. Specific district policies referenced in this section are:

• Student Absences and Excuses — Policy JH, JH-R
• Dangerous Weapons in the Schools — Policy JICI
• Student Abuse of Alcohol and Other Drugs — Policies JFCH/JFCI and JFCH/JFCI-R
• Tobacco-Free Schools — Policy ADC • Searches — Policy JFGA
• Student Conduct on School Buses — Policy JFCC
• Student Suspension/Expulsion — Policy JGD/JGE
• Non-Discrimination — Policy AC/AC-R
• Student Dress — District Policy JICA, JICA-R

BVSD policy and State law mandate that all schools and school grounds are tobacco free. Therefore, the Boulder Universal Open Lab is a smoke free environment. The use of any tobacco product in school buildings and on school grounds is prohibited. This includes the two RTD bus stops which are located on BVSD property. Related District Policy: (ADC)

• Boulder County Ordinance 2004-2: “Boulder County Ordinance, an ordinance prohibiting smoking in public places and places of employment in unincorporated Boulder County, is enforced on this property.
•  Violators are subject to a fine up to $100 for the first offense, up to $200 for a second offence, and up to $500 for each subsequent offense.”

Arapahoe Ridge anticipates a commitment to Academic Integrity or compliance to accepted ethical standards from each student. The completion of the enrollment process signifies that a student is committed to academic integrity as a student at Arapahoe Ridge. Students are expected to respond to academic challenges with the highest degree of integrity and honesty. District educators will encourage the development of ethical behavior in their students and support constructive dialogue regarding the characteristics of academic integrity in their classes. 

Academic Dishonesty:  Deliberate, unacceptable behaviors that include but are not limited to: misrepresentation, obtaining unauthorized information, and tendering of information

Misrepresentation: Students misrepresent their work by handing in the work of someone else:

• Plagiarizing: unacknowledged use of information, ideas, or phrasing of others.  
• Copying exact words of another writer without proper documentation of source
• Stealing or passing off words, graphics, and artwork that is not one’s own
• Purchasing a paper from a service or other sources
• Reproducing another person’s paper and submitting it as one’s own
• Having someone else take an exam
• Inventing of information or citation in an academic exercise and misquoting or quoting out of context
• Submitting a reproduction of another person’s work
• Signing of another’s name to an official document and/or submission of information known to be false
• Students also cannot turn in the same submission for multiple assignments

Incidents will be noted in Infinite Campus with repeated instances resulting in either a loss of credit for that assignment or removal from the courses with a failing grade. Possible consequences to infractions may include:

• Parent/Guardian conference with teacher(s) and/or administration
• A certified letter to be signed by the parent/guardian
• A failing grade for the assignment
• Redo the assignment within a given amount of time
• Suspension
• Suspension of Internet access
• Suspension of Network privileges
• A failing grade for the class
• Ineligibility for groups/activities
• Community service
• Restorative Justice

Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) is pleased to offer students access to district computers, communications systems, the Internet, and an array of technology resources to promote educational excellence.

Each student is responsible for her/his use of technology, whether personal or district provided. While using district and personal technology resources on or near school property, in school vehicles and at school-sponsored activities, as well as using district technology resources via off-campus remote access, each student must act in an appropriate manner consistent with school, district, and legal guidelines. It is the joint responsibility of school personnel and the parent or guardian of each student to educate the student about his/her responsibilities and to establish expectations when using technology. Failure to follow the appropriate use procedures may lead to the loss of the privilege to use these educational tools, school disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion, legal action, and/or restitution by the user for costs associated with any damages caused by such violations.

Please refer to Board Policy JS, Student Use of the Internet and Electronic Communications.

All students will be granted access to district technology resources in order to: 

• Perform word processing, build spreadsheets, create presentations, browse the Internet, or use Google Apps for Education
• Conduct research on classroom or library computers or other digital devices
• Search the school library catalog for books/resources
• Download or educational videos, podcasts, simulations, or content
• Publish student work
• Fulfill requirements in computer lab assignments
• Conduct curricular work using computer-based simulations or content
• Create digital presentations
• Engage in distance learning experiences
• Complete online testing
• Use digital assessment technologies
• Engage in online collaborative projects
• Engage in electronic discussions with experts outside the classroom
• Share or exchange files with students in or outside the classroom
• Store student work for retrieval at home
• Complete online college applications or apply for financial aid online
• Complete other assignments requiring technology as assigned by your student’s teacher(s)

Email Accounts

At the secondary level (6-12), students will be given a district email account. At the elementary level (K-5), email accounts are not made available to students unless requested by a teacher, connected to a specific curriculum unit, explicit parent/guardian and principal permission is acquired, and close supervision by adults is provided.

Password Requirements

Students are required to use strong passwords for accessing District technology and email. IT changes the passwords for grades K-5 every 180 days. Students in grades 6-12 are required to change their password every 90 days.

We are pleased to offer students access to digitally available curriculum, communications systems, the use of computer and Internet while in our lab and an array of other technology resources to promote educational excellence. The Internet and electronic communications (email, chat rooms and other forms of electronic communication) have vast potential to support curriculum and student learning. The Board of Education believes they should be used in schools as a learning resource to educate and to inform. Students should take responsibility for their own use of district computers and computer systems to avoid contact with material or information that may be harmful to minors. Related District Policies: (EGAEA)

As a digital citizen I understand:

• Any computer work may be lost and I should be careful to back-up important work.
• Some things from the Internet I read may not be true.
• Cyber-bullying is a violation of BVSD/Arapahoe Ridge policies and if caught doing it I can be subject to school disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion, legal action, and/or restitution by the user for costs associated with any damages caused by such violations.
• The network and some computers may belong to the District/Arapahoe Ridge and that using them is a privilege, not a right.
• I may not create, transmit, or communicate any material accessible via the Internet that contains items that are illegal, obscene, harassing, insulting, ostracizing, or intimidating to others.
• The intent is to make Internet access available to further educational goals and objectives, students may find ways to access other potentially inappropriate materials as well. BVSD/Arapahoe Ridge does not condone or permit the viewing or use of this material and uses content filtering software to protect students to the extent possible. Parents are also encouraged to monitor their child’s Internet activity.
• Content filtering tools are not completely fail-safe and while at school, direct supervision by school personnel of each student using a computer is desired but not always possible.
• Things I do using a school computer or network are not private; even when generated on my personal device.  Teachers and District staff may review my work and activities at any time I am using a BVSD log on and while engaged in Schoology or other online class content. 
• Any and all BVSD log on histories can be inspected. This includes Internet history/cache anytime during the school year. For example; teachers may track BVSD log on access and activities today, last hour, last week or last semester.

Students are required to turn portable electronic devices over to school personnel when requested. Under certain circumstances, law enforcement authorities may be notified. Portable electronic devices are considered personal effects in a student’s possession and thereby subject governing searches of such items. Except in cases of emergency, a cell phone or other electronic communication device will not be searched without the consent of either the student or parent. BVSD shall not be responsible for loss, theft or destruction of portable electronic devices brought onto school property. Related District Policies: (JS)

The Colorado state legislature enacted laws that impact all Colorado schools. These laws will be enforced as well as the policies set forth in the student and parent handbooks, as well as the Students and Parents rights document published by the Boulder Valley School District.  

The following behaviors have been determined to be so serious that STUDENTS WHO ENGAGE IN THESE BEHAVIORS WILL FACE IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION FOLLOWED BY MANDATORY EXPULSION BY THE BVSD BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR UP TO ONE CALENDAR YEAR:

• The behaviors which have been determined to be detrimental to the welfare or safety of students and/or school personnel are: 
• carrying, bringing, using or possessing a dangerous weapon without the authorization of the school or the District (including parking lot). 
• selling, giving, or exchanging a drug or other controlled substance (not alcohol). 
• the commission of an act (robbery, assault, etc.), which if committed by an adult would be considered a crime. 
• the declaration of a student as a habitually disruptive student. 
• assault which if charged could be a 1st or 2nd degree assault. 

A Dangerous Weapon includes, but is not limited to, a firearm, loaded or unloaded, or firearm facsimile, any pellet or BB gun or other device, whether operational or not, designed to propel projectiles by spring action or compressed air, a knife, bludgeon, or any weapon or instrument, which when used in the manner in which it was intended, is capable of producing death or bodily injury. 

• Assault: an event in which a person is seriously injured or where the action is intercepted just before the serious injury but where the intent to cause serious injury is clearly evident. 
• Habitually Disruptive Student: a student who has caused disruptions while at school or on school grounds, at a school sanctioned activity or event, or while being transported in a school-approved vehicle. 
• Disruptive Behavior: behavior initiated by a student which is willful and overt and which requires the attention of school personnel to deal with the disruption. 

BVSD high schools are here to help support our students and families throughout this process. We will be tracking our student’s progress in achieving the requirements and working closely with our counseling staff and administrators to ensure that students that need additional support receive it. All information regarding requirements can be found on the BVSD Website Graduation Requirements Page.

Course selection is very important to a student’s career progression. With the assistance of the school counselor, students will create and maintain academic and career plans tailored to their individual interests and goals.

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Grading

All forms of reporting, including progress reports or conferences, should primarily reflect the student's individual progress toward the program expectations in art, music, and physical education, and achieving the course level curriculum in all other subject areas.  The impact of other factors such as effort, behavior, and attitude shall be clearly explained in the grading procedures distributed by the teacher. Related District Policy: (IKA-R)

Grading Scale:

•  A = achievement at the advanced level  (4.0 grade points; 5.0 for weighted courses)
•  B = achievement at the proficient level (3.0 grade points; 4.0 for weighted courses)
•  C = achievement at the basic  level (2.0 grade points; 3.0 for weighted courses)
•  D = achievement less than basic level (1.0 grade point; 2.0 for weighted courses)        
•  F = failure to achieve at a level to earn credit

Transcripts

• Transcripts can be ordered by using our Transcript Request Form on our website.
• Transcripts will be sent within 3 business days. Unofficial transcripts can be seen through the Infinite Campus Parent/Student Portal.
• Class rank will not be placed on report cards or transcripts. Grades of Pass/Fail will be allowed only by principal approval and only under rare, special circumstances. The use of Pass/Fail grading to elevate a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA) is expressly prohibited. 

Classes taken by middle level students will not appear on high school transcripts or be used in calculating high school GPA.’s. This action is intended to create equity in high schools regarding GPA.’s and is not intended to prevent students from graduating early who are otherwise eligible to do so. Principals can consider high school classes taken at the middle school level when deciding to authorize early graduations.