Policies

Policy:

Bullying, cyber-bullying, hazing, or any abusive conduct by any student or employee of Syracuse High School is not tolerated and will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.

It is the intent of Syracuse High to respond to school-related incidents by implementing prevention efforts where victims can be identified and assessed, and perpetrators educated, in order to create safer schools that provide a positive learning environment.

School officials have the authority to discipline students and employees for off-campus speech that causes or threatens a substantial disruption on campus, at school activities, or causes or threatens a significant interference with a student’s educational performance or involvement in school activities.

A student may be suspended, transferred to an alternative placement, expelled, referred for police investigation, and/or prosecuted for engaging in any written, physical, or verbal aggression, intimidation, discrimination, or abusive conduct of any school employee or student at school or a school-related activities regardless of location or circumstance, including but not limited to bullying, cyber-bullying, hazing, or retaliation.

Definitions:

“Abusive conduct” means verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a parent or student directed toward a school employee that, based on its severity, nature, and frequency of occurrence, a reasonable person
would determine is intended to cause intimidation, humiliation, or unwarranted distress.

“Bullying” means a school employee or student intentionally committing a written, verbal, or physical act against a school employee or student that a reasonable person under the circumstances should know or reasonably foresee will have the effect of:
(i) causing physical or emotional harm to the school employee or student;
(ii) causing damage to the school employee’s or student’s property;
(iii) placing the school employee or student in reasonable fear of:
(1) harm to the school employee’s or student’s physical or emotional well-being; or
(2) damage to the school employee’s or student’s property;
(iv) creating a hostile, threatening, humiliating, or abusive educational environment due to:
(1) the pervasiveness, persistence, or severity of the actions; or
(2) a power differential between the bully and the target; or
(v) substantially interfering with a student having a safe school environment that is necessary to facilitate educational performance, opportunities, or benefits.

“Cyberbullying” means using the Internet, a cell phone, or another device to send or post text, video, or an image with the intent or knowledge, or with reckless disregard, that the text, video, or image will hurt,
embarrass, or threaten an individual regardless of whether the individual directed, consented, to, or acquiesced in the conduct.

“Hazing” means a school employee or student intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly committing an act or causing another individual to commit an act toward a school employee or student that:
(i) endangers the physical health or safety of a school employee or student;
(ii) involves any brutality of a physical nature such as whipping,beating, branding, calisthenics, bruising, electric shocking, placing of a harmful substance on the body, or exposure to the elements;
(iii) involves consumption of any food, alcoholic product, drug, or other substance, or
(iv) involves any activity that would subject a school employee or student to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, extended isolation from social contact, or conduct that subjects a school employee or student to extreme embarrassment, shame,or humiliation; and
(v) is committed for the purpose of initiation or admission into, affiliation with, holding office in, or as a condition for membership or acceptance, or continued membership or acceptance, in any school or school sponsored team, organization, program, or event; or
(vi) is directed toward a school employee or student whom the individual who commits the act knows, at the time the act is committed, is a member of, or candidate for, membership with a school, or school sponsored team, organization, program, or event to which the person committing the act belongs to or
participate in.

“Retaliate” or “retaliation” means an act or communication intended:
(i) as retribution against a person for reporting bullying or hazing; or
(ii) to improperly influence the investigation of, or the response to a report of bullying or hazing.

The conduct defined above constitutes bullying, cyber-bullying or hazing, regardless of whether the person against whom the conduct is committed directed, consented to, or acquiesced in, the conduct.

Prohibited Conduct

No school employee or student may:
(i) engage in any form of bullying or cyber-bullying a school employee or student, on or about school property, on a school bus, at a school bus stop, or while traveling to or from a school location or school event, or at any school-related or sponsored activity regardless of location or circumstance;
(ii) engage in hazing a school employee or student at any time or in any location;
(iii) engage in retaliation against a school employee; a student; or an investigator for, or witness of, an alleged incident of bullying, harassing, cyber-bullying, hazing; or
(iv) make a false allegation of bullying, cyber-bullying, hazing, or retaliation against a school employee or student.

No parent or student may engage in abusive conduct directed toward a school employee.

Investigation and Discipline

Each reported violation of the prohibitions noted previously shall be promptly investigated and discipline determined in accordance with this policy.

Citizenship Grades

• three or more uncleared or unexcused absences per class.
• four or more tardies per term.

Administrative "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.

SHS students are expected to treat each other with kindness and dignity. DISCRIMINATION IN ANY FORM IS UNACCEPTABLE AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Anyone witnessing any type of discrimination is responsible to report it immediately to the proper authority. 

All stakeholders associated with SHS (staff, students, parents) may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or disability. In compliance with applicable federal and state law, it is the policy of the SHS to investigate promptly and resolve equitably all complaints and reports of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities, and any other alleged violation of civil rights. An individual who believes that he or she has been subjected to unlawful discrimination may personally or through a representative file a complaint with administration.

SHS Administration is responsible for receiving complaints of discrimination at the building or department level. Complainants are encouraged to work with site administrators in an effort to reach a mutually acceptable resolution to a complaint at the level or site of the incident in an informal manner. If the complaint is against the administration, the complaint may be filed directly with the Compliance Officer. 

More details can be found in the Student Handbook under the heading Non-Discrimination.