Student Handbook

• verbal or online comments or “jokes” of a harassing or intimidating nature
• verbal or online comments that make fun of or demean a peer or group based on racial, religious, gender, or sexual identity, class, sexual preference or any other identifiers

• LWHS prohibits sexual harassment of any student or employee at school by anyone.
• Off campus sexual harassment or any other prohibited harassment of any student or employee by anyone connected with the school is prohibited.
• It is the responsibility of each student and employee to read and abide by this policy.
• Under no circumstance is a student or employee expected to endure any form of sexual harassment or any other kind of prohibited harassment as described below.

• Sexual harassment or any other prohibited harassment by a non-employee at the School is likewise prohibited. 
• No teacher, administrator, other employee or adult visitor of the School shall make sexual advances to a student.
• Any harassment based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, cancer, genetic characteristic, autoimmune disorder, marital status or veteran status is strictly prohibited. 

• Submission to the conduct is implicitly or explicitly made a condition of a romantic relationship or friendship.
• Submission to the conduct is explicitly or implicitly made a term or a condition of an individual’s employment, academic status, or progress.
• Submission to or rejection of the conduct by the individual is used as the basis of employment or academic decisions affecting the individual.
• Submission to or rejection of the conduct by the individual is used as the basis for any decision affecting the individual regarding benefits and services, honors, programs, or activities available at or through the educational institution.
• The conduct has the purpose or effect of having a negative impact upon the individual’s work or academic performance, or of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment

• Verbal conduct such as derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, innuendoes or jokes of a sexual nature, unwanted sexual advances, invitations or comments.
• Visual conduct such as sexually-oriented posters, cartoons, photography, drawings or electronically-generated material.
• Non-verbal conduct, such as leering, staring at sexual body parts, or making sexually suggestive gestures.
• Physical conduct such as unwanted touching, blocking normal movement or assault.
• Threats, demands or requests for sexual favors as a condition of employment or academic status, or in exchange for or to avoid loss of employment or academic status or benefit.
• Retaliation for rejecting sexual advances, for reporting or threatening to report sexual harassment, or for participating in a sexual harassment investigation.

• If harassment is established, the offender will be held accountable.
• If the harasser is an employee, the individual will be disciplined up to and including discharge.
• If the harasser is a student, the individual will be disciplined up to and including dismissal.
• If the harasser is not an employee or student, the individual will be dealt with appropriately, such as permanent prohibition from visiting the School and/or possible prosecution.

• Kate Wiley, Dean of Students 
• Naomi Fierro, Director of Student Inclusion
• Dee Johnson, Dean of Adult Equity and Inclusion
• Cristal Ogletree, Director of Enrollment Management

• This includes potential or actual threats by anyone, including fellow students or employees, former students or employees, their relatives, as well as former friends.
• The school will endeavor to maintain the privacy of any confidential information shared with us.
• Students and employees may report any incidents or weapons, violence, or threats of violence without fear of reprisal of any kind.

• Vandalism is defined as: defacing and/or destroying any school property such as desks, walls, toilets, lockers, tables, floors, or windows, or defacing/destroying the off-campus property of a community member.

• “Borrowing” or “using” something without the owner’s consent (e.g. a book, a notebook, a laptop, a phone, etc), or keeping things that one “finds” around the school. 
• If a student finds another's valuable item, they must return it to the front office or to the person to whom it belongs (to keep the item is theft).
• Taking or consuming food or drink from the cafeteria without paying for it.
• Going through other students’ possessions, opening their lockers or reading their mail are all violations of this rule.

• NEVER leave a phone/computer or any device unattended.
• Lock your valuables in your locker or keep the items on your person. 
• Never leave backpacks, sports bags, or other items unattended if not in your locked locker, bring all items to your sports practice site.
• Don’t assume that the sports locker rooms are safe; the only way to prevent theft is to lock bags into a locker.

• keep the neighborhood clean 
• to refrain from all forms of vandalism and graffiti
• not loiter or sit on property belonging to others
• treat all persons in the neighborhood with courtesy and respect
• to adhere to all construction zone policies, including areas that are marked off limits.

• Meet with the student and , if warranted, the student's advisor
• Devise, in collaboration with the student, a plan of support to address the concern
• Refer, as needed, the student to additional resources such as counseling or learning support
• After meeting with the student, communicate with the family regarding the concerns (s) and support plan 
• In some cases student privileges, including participation in extracurricular programs, may be temporarily suspended to prioritize completion of academic coursework

• will be required to work closely with one of the deans of students throughout the successive quarter or semester.
• will access school support resources which may include LSC support,the  counseling department, peer tutoring, etc.  
• may be restricted from other privileges such as free blocks and participation in athletics, student council, clubs and/or non-class-related performances (this may also be implemented in situations when there are significant outstanding assignments or a significant attendance concern)

• Cheats on an exam
• Turns in someone else’s work as their own
• Uses the ideas/language of other sources without appropriate citation
• Submits individualized but identical work as a classmate 
• Helps a friend cheat or encourages that person to be dishonest (this will result disciplinary action as well)

• Copying all or part of any source—book, internet, radio program, or television program is permissible if one uses quotation marks and identifies the source through formal citation.
• However, using another’s words, ideas, images or research without proper citation is plagiarism even if one changes the wording.
• Teachers take time to teach the correct use of sources and citations so there is no excuse for improper or insufficient citations; this is plagiarism, even if the student did not intend to cheat. 

• Missing class to avoid a test or assessment due date
• Talking to another student during a test or exam or sharing information with others after the exam
• Having your phone (or any electronic device) out during an exam (without the express permission of a teacher)
• Submitting a document that was the product of group effort/group thinking (e.g. a lab or google doc) as solely your own work
• Submitting an assignment assigned and assessed in one class for credit in another without clear teacher acknowledgment and approval. 

• The student will receive a “zero” or a significant grade reduction on the work submitted. 
• This depends on the severity of the cheating, to be determined by the teacher, in consultation with the dean.

• The age of the student
• The gravity of the cheating incident
• Any prior warnings or disciplinary infractions of any kind

• Examine all evidence, such as potentially plagiarized assignments or social media communications
• Interview all involved parties who may have been involved in or witnessed the incident
• Consultation with advisors, faculty, counselors or other deans as needed

• A reduced or "zero" grade for an academic integrity incident
• A letter or presentation of apology
• Restricted privileges (such as participation in sports,clubs, attending dances or off campus events)
• An in-house suspension monitored by the deans of students
• A warning may also result in a student being placed on disciplinary probation

• Intended to heighten the student’s awareness of their responsibility to honor school norms and policies
• Often accompanied by other consequences such as community suspension and/or suspension of privileges or exclusion from extracurricular activities in order to emphasize the importance of personal integrity and accountability
• A status that may last one semester or a full academic year; to be determined by the deans of students
• Depending on the nature of the infraction, may be reportable to prospective colleges (to be determined by the deans of students)

• Build relationships with their advisees through individual check-ins and group experiences.
• Serve as the school’s first point of contact for student and family concerns, assisting them through advice, goal setting, troubleshooting and/or referrals to the appropriate support staff.
• Hold annual conferences with parents/guardians and advisees to review the fall semester, including feedback from fall quarter narratives and semester 1 final exams.
• Work closely with the grade level deans, counselors, and the Dean of Students to develop strategies to assist students experiencing personal or academic difficulties.
• Meet with their advising group approximately twice a month, focusing on community building exercises, academic feedback and goal setting, issues associated with each developmental year of school, and curriculum related to the school’s mission.

• Teachers assign homework that balances a rich education with an awareness of the full lives of LWHS students and their families.
• Teachers announce the homework that is to be completed for the next class meeting during class. If the work is new or unfamiliar, teachers will set the context and expectations for learning.
• Specifics regarding homework will be posted online by 4:00pm that day and remain unchanged.
• Teachers design assignments that require, on average, up to 60 minutes to complete (in a quiet, study focused space) in order to balance a students’ overall homework load, and up to 75 minutes for all courses with an honors designation.
• Students will check their homework assignments daily, and develop the habit of contacting the appropriate teacher with clarifying questions about homework at least a day before it is due.
• Students will allocate up to three hours of focused, distraction-free homework time in their daily schedules. A student who consistently spends significantly more time should consult with their teacher, advisor, or the appropriate grade level dean.
• Students should consider that the number and the kind of courses taken often determines homework load.

• Extended time on examinations
• A separate, quiet, and well-lit room in which to take examinations
• The use of a basic four-function calculator during examinations
• The use of a computer (portable or desktop) during examinations

• Freshmen are expected to attend every PPP curricular session and participate in the class service project and spring service fair.
• Sophomores are expected to complete their 40 required service hours during the academic year (not the summer) by the third week of May and participate in the end of year service fair.
• Juniors and seniors are expected to fulfill their requirements through a PPP course, a PPP independent or cohort study, or an independent internship approved by the Public Purpose Program director Alan Wesson.

• The Ann Maisel Café will be open until 3:45pm. 
• The Center for Civic Engagement will be open until 6pm.
• Library building open until 5pm. 
• The reception desk at the Ocean Avenue entrance will have phone coverage until 6pm.
• The school security guard will lock all classrooms, except classroom H201, at 4pm. This means they are no longer open for student use. Students are advised to leave campus by 6pm daily unless they are involved in athletics, performing arts, or other organized school activities that are supervised by a LWHS adult.
• The security guard is on duty at the main entrance desk until 8pm.

• Litter should be deposited in trash containers.
• Plates, bowls, and silverware should be scraped clean in the compost bin and be returned to the cafeteria dish bins 5 minutes before lunch ends.
• LWHS is committed to stewardship of the environment. All community members are to recycle and compost. Use the recycling bins for paper, glass, plastic and aluminum. Use composting containers for all food scraps and used napkins.
• During the year, all students are expected to serve on cafeteria clean up duty with their advising groups for one week.

• Items that have been removed from the top of lockers or hallways may be found in lost and found, with facilities or (in the case of technology) with the receptionist.
• Students are expected to keep lockers in good condition by keeping the outside of their lockers clean of stickers and pen marks and free of offensive text/images.
• Students should dispose of food instead of storing it inside their lockers.
• Students must leave their lockers clean and empty at the end of the year. Failure to do so may result in charges for repair and cleaning.

• For problems with a locker, please notify the dean of students or the receptionist.
• Please note that an LWHS student is not to enter another student’s locker without permission.
• Lockers are school property and may be entered without notice at the discretion of the Head of School or dean of students when either deems it appropriate to do so.
• Be considerate of others by not blocking hallways and doors, especially during passing periods.

• Cell phones are an inappropriate distraction in a school setting, and must be turned off during class time.
• Parents should not call students during class; if there is an emergency, parents should contact the receptionist or any of the deans who will then communicate with the student. 

• Respect for the varied cultural and religious beliefs of community members
• Respect equity and inclusion specific to access to "styles" and "brands"
• Challenge the societal endorsement of unrealistic body expectations and/or definitions of beauty. 

• Clothes displaying images and/or text related to violence, sex, drugs, alcohol, profanity, and hate speech are forbidden.
• Shoes, shirts and bottoms must be worn at all times.
• Underwear/undergarments of any kind should not be visible. 
• Students must change clothes in the bathrooms or locker rooms and not in public spaces. 
• Students should always follow particular dress norms for specific classes, for example, protective eyewear in science or closed-toe shoes in the tech arts.

• Be careful around traffic. Ocean and Geneva Avenues are busy thoroughfares filled with cars and public transportation. Cross at the light and in the crosswalk. Don’t play or loiter in the street or around the streetcar tracks.
• Don’t wear conspicuous jewelry, watches, iPods, or valuable warm-up jackets, and don’t flash large amounts of cash. If you need money for the MUNI, transfer what you need from your wallet to your pocket before leaving school.
• Walk in groups, especially at night.
• When riding the bus, choose a single seat or an aisle seat near the driver.
• Don’t get boxed into a window seat or a seat in the back. Learn the bus schedules to minimize waiting at bus stops (use nextmuni.com). After late practice or rehearsal, try to get a ride instead of taking public transportation.

• Once the course has been completed, students should have the institution mail an official transcript directly to academic scheduler and registrar Erica Obando.
• Courses taken outside of LWHS are to complement, not take the place of, LWHS’ graduation requirements.
• Students may use summer school courses in math to accelerate their program at LWHS or to be placed into an advanced section of a particular course. Students considering this option should consult with math department chair Annie Mehalchick, and indicate in the appropriate section of the April course signup form that summer work is planned.
• Some colleges do consider summer school courses and grades by recalculating a student’s grade point average to reflect all course work completed while in high school.
• Students may take credit recovery summer courses to address a low grade. This is recommended for students wishing to remain UC/CSU eligible as these schools do not accept semester grades lower than a C-.

• Consistent with the above policy, a student should submit a request for a leave of absence from LWHS only if they have a compelling family reason for doing so. All requests must be made, in writing, to assistant head of school Randy Barnett. Any request not supported by a strong “family need” rationale will be automatically denied.

• In the rare circumstance when a leave of absence is granted, the student will not need to reapply to LWHS in order to return, and LWHS will, of course, reserve a space for the student upon their return from an approved leave of absence. However, LWHS will not automatically waive tuition monies due per the enrollment contract, will not necessarily guarantee the courses needed for graduation from LWHS, will not give the student scheduling priority over other LWHS students, and will not waive or alter graduation requirements.

• If a student who has not been formally (in writing) granted a leave of absence chooses to leave LWHS, they will be considered to have withdrawn from the school and will need to reapply formally in order to return. In such a case, LWHS will not waive tuition obligations called for by the family’s enrollment contract. Nor will LWHS assess the program to which the student is going prior to their departure, guarantee the student the courses needed for graduation from LWHS, waive or alter graduation requirements, or reserve a space for the student at LWHS.

• The library is open daily from 7:45am to 5pm.
• The library is intended to be a workspace for students and adults, and not a social space. All class blocks as well as every tutorial period is designated as quiet work time.
• The check-out period for library materials is four weeks.
• LWHS does not charge any overdue fees for materials but does require payment for materials lost or damaged.
• The library will hold a student’s yearbook until all materials borrowed from the library are returned or replaced.

• Lunch (an entrée, or a sandwich, or a large salad, or a small salad and soup) is included in the cost of tuition for all students.
• Those who wish to purchase other items must set up a prepaid account handled by the Business Office, who will issue an individual PIN.
• Students purchase food by entering their PIN at the cashier station. Updated information about the Food Service Program, including monthly menus and prices, is available through the school website.

• Every student must enter their own PIN for every item they purchase from the cafeteria. Walking away with food, even with the intention of coming back later to pay, is not acceptable. Such actions are considered stealing and will be reported to a dean.
• When a student’s account is overdrawn ($75 or more) they will be notified by the business office and will be restricted from further purchases until the balance is paid.
• There is no picking or grazing allowed from the salad bar. This is also a form of theft and compromises food safety.
• No student may cut in front of others in the cafeteria lines or be allowed into the line by a friend.
• Using another student’s PIN, with or without their consent, is never allowed. Doing so is considered a disciplinary infraction and will be addressed by a dean.

• All school rules apply. As is the case with all school functions, alcohol, drugs, weapons, and tobacco products are strictly forbidden. Guests also must follow our school rules.
• Any student who comes to a dance intoxicated, is under the influence of drugs, or brings illegal drugs or alcohol to a dance, will face significant disciplinary consequences, which are reportable to colleges. The school may conduct a combination of random and suspicion-based drug and alcohol testing, including the use of breathalyzer testing, and the inspection of personal belongings, both on school property and at venues contracted for LWHS events.
• There are no ins and outs at school dances; once a student leaves a dance, they may not return.
• Appropriate attire is expected at all dances.
• Students who choose to attend a school dance must maintain the same level of respect toward classmates and faculty chaperones that they would show at any other school function.

• Additional books, replacement books, BART discount tickets, MUNI Fast Passes, and some limited supplies through the Business Services Office during regular school hours (8 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM–4:30 PM).
• Purchases can be paid with a check, cash, or a credit card.

• Do not park in the white zone on Ocean Avenue. If ticketed, students are responsible for paying their own fines.
• At the end of the school day, cars tend to congregate by the front entrance. Please do not block traffic by double parking.
• No student may park in the parking lot without a doctor-identified medical reason, approved by the Facilities Director and a dean.
• Students participating in an after school activity—e.g. play practice and sporting events—may park in the school parking lot after 3:30.
• Students may not drive other students to and from school events, athletic matches and field trips during school hours.

• First-aid supplies can be obtained at the Front Desk or the Athletic Office.
• A dean should be notified if a student is ill or needs medical attention.
• Students must not leave campus in such circumstances without the knowledge of someone in the front office who will call their parents. 

The school requests that parents/guardians inform a student’s advisor and grade level dean when they are on medication.

• In the case that a student is taking a medication that alters or impairs their ability to use machinery of any kind, and is enrolled in a Technical Arts class, the parent/guardian must inform the Technical Arts teacher.
• Additionally, the school does not administer pain-reliever or fever-reducer without parental permission.
• The school will hold emergency medications such as an Epi-pen and insulin, when provided by families. Contact the Dean of Students for more information.