Policies

Graduation requirements in the Davis School District include satisfactory citizenship and adherence to the rules and policies of the school. Failure to earn the required citizenship credits will result in withholding the graduation diploma and participation in the commencement exercise. For graduation a student is required to earn citizenship credit in grades 9 through 12. Students can earn .25 units of citizenship credits in each class for each term. A total of 35 citizenship credits are required for graduation.

The administration will award one citizenship credit per year (.25/term) to cover the school period before, during, and after school, and all school sponsored activities. This credit may be withheld by the administration and a “U” issued for unsatisfactory citizenship such as fighting, hazing, theft, possession of controlled substances, truancy, excessive tardies, failure to meet release-time and other off-campus program commitments.

CITIZENSHIP ADMINISTRATIVE “U”

An “Administrative U” may be issued for serious negative behavior including: obvious disrespect for school staff, use of vulgarity or profanity, public displays of affection, repeated violations of the dress code, excessive tardiness, and other direct and willful disobedience of school rules and policies. Make-up credit of an Administrative U may require arrangements through the administration. Fees for this make-up credit will be charged equal to a citizenship U. Administrative “U”s must be made up and paid for prior to graduation.

CITIZENSHIP GRADE

Citizenship grades will be determined each term by the teacher. Such factors as school and class behavior, attendance, and punctuality, are used to determine a student's citizenship grade. Expectations set forth in a teacher's course disclosure will be used to determine grades and credit. It is the responsibility of the student to adhere to the citizenship policy and to teacher expectations. A “U” grade remains on the permanent record, but credit can be restored through proper citizenship makeup.

The primary cause of “U”s is lack of attendance (tardiness and unexcused absences). Regular, timely attendance is encouraged for all students. Davis School District policy states: “An Unsatisfactory Citizenship Grade (a "U") can result from any of the following or combination of the following:

• Per term, three (3) uncleared or unexcused absences on an 8-period schedule
• A "U" citizenship grade shall result from excessive tardies. FOUR (4) tardies per term are considered excessive.”

U makeup information

Syracuse High School faculty and staff and the Davis School District Board of Education recognize that standards of proper dress and grooming affect the learning environment and behavior of students. In conjunction with the Syracuse High School Community Council and PTA Board, clear dress and grooming guidelines have been established so that rules of dress can be enforced consistently. Clothing shall not be worn which may disrupt or interfere with the learning environment or school functions. Certain student activities such as assemblies, plays, programs, and athletic events may warrant a variance from the dress code expected within the regular school day. Exceptions for these activities will be monitored by the appropriate advisors and coaches. The school administration retains the right to determine the appropriateness of school dress. Each student will be expected to know and abide by the dress code of Syracuse High School.

SYRACUSE HIGH SCHOOL DRESS CODE

• Students must be fully clothed...including shoes.
• Hats and bandannas are not allowed in school.
• Shirts must have sleeves. (No tank tops, cold shoulder tops, spaghetti straps, stand-alone vests, etc.)
• Clothing must cover midriffs, buttocks, cleavage, & undergarments. Clothing allowing underwear (bras, bra straps, boxers, etc.) to be shown are not permitted at school. (This includes sheer blouses.)
• Shorts, skirts, and dresses must be mid-thigh or longer when standing, sitting, or bending over.
• Leggings cannot be transparent or show underwear.
• Sagging pants or shorts are not permitted.
• Clothing containing weapons or other disturbing graphics, obscene/sexually suggestive words or pictures, references to tobacco, alcohol or other drugs are not permitted at school or at any school sponsored activity.
• No skin should be visible through holes, rips, tears, or frayed fabric above the mid-thigh area.
• Clothing determined to be gang related in colors, graphics, or other references are not permitted.
• Hair must be kept neat and clean. Extreme or distracting styles or colors are not permitted at school.
• Piercings must not be distractive or cause a safety concern.
• School-appropriate dress code for dances, including all formal dances, is required. We recommend avoiding dresses which are low cut, extremely short or too revealing. Shirts must be worn. (Vests without a shirt are not permitted.)

Students will be subject to school discipline for non-compliance to the dress code.

To prevent interruption of valuable class time, the use of student cell phones, head phones, or other electronic devices may be prohibited in the classroom. The use of devices in each class will be at the discretion of the teacher. If a teacher has to confiscate these devices, they will be given to an administrator and a parent or guardian may be contacted.

The chain of consequences for violation of the Personal Electronic Device Policy is as follows:

•    1st offense Device is brought to the office and may be retrieved at the end of the school day by the student.
•    2nd offense Device is brought to the office and must be picked up by a parent.
•    3rd offense Device is brought to the office and must be picked up by the parent.
           Administrative “U” may be issued.
•    4th+ offense Device is brought to the office and must be picked up by the parent.
           Administrative “U” may be issued. Device may be kept for up to 30 days.